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New York gubernatorial candidate to reporter: 'I'll take you out'

By The CNN Wire Staff
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Carl Paladino, reporter exchange words
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • NEW: The New York Post editor says Paladino's claim about photo is untrue
  • Paladino's campaign: Post photographer endangered Paladino's daughter
  • The confrontation was captured on cell phone video
  • It occurred between the candidate and columnist Fred Dicker

(CNN) -- A confrontation Wednesday night between New York gubernatorial hopeful Carl Paladino and a reporter threatened to turn physical.

The dust-up was captured in an exclusive cell phone video by CNN affiliate YNN Albany. It began with New York Post statehouse columnist Fred Dicker pressing Paladino to back up an explosive allegation he made to the Politico website Wednesday that his opponent, Andrew Cuomo, had taken "paramours" during his marriage to Kerry Kennedy.

"Do you have any evidence of the charge you made?" Dicker asked.

"You'll get it at the appropriate time. You're not entitled to it," responded Paladino, who then derided Dicker as Cuomo's "stalking horse" and "bird dog."

The confrontation escalated from there.

"You send another goon to my daughter's house and I'll take you out, buddy," Paladino said, apparently referring to the Post's coverage of a daughter the candidate had out of wedlock.

Dicker shot back: "You gonna take me out?"

Video: Carl Paladino scuffles with reporter
Video: New York's ugly governor's race

"Yeah."

"How you gonna do that?"

"Watch," Paladino said before walking off.

Paladino's campaign issued a statement Thursday morning claiming that the Post sent a photographer to the Buffalo-area house where Paladino's 10-year-old daughter lives.

"This photographer attempted to take photos of the child through the windows and subsequently attempted to follow the girl to a playground," campaign manager Michael Caputo said. "We believe this conduct puts Carl Paladino's daughter in harm's way, susceptible to kidnapping or sexual predators."

"This behavior by The New York Post and ... Fred Dicker is unacceptable," he added. "Endangering the safety of a 10-year-old child is repugnant."

Caputo also claimed in the statement that Dicker's campaign coverage has consistently favored Cuomo, and listed several examples of what he said was biased reporting.

Col Allen, the Post's editor in chief, later responded with a statement asserting that Caputo's "claim about our photographer is untrue."

"We can only assume Mr. Caputo is confusing our photographer with someone else," Allen said. "Mr. Caputo should check his facts before making charges against Post personnel. In addition, Mr. Paladino should not be surprised by the media's interest in his families, as he has invited public scrutiny of his personal life by running for governor and speaking openly about his mistress and love child."

The Cuomo camp did not comment.