Rep. Weiner Confesses to Sending Lewd Photos via Twitter; Will Not Resign
Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-New York) called a press conference today admitting he gave false statements in regards to a lewd underwear photo he sent via twitter to a woman in Washington State last Friday.
“I have made a terrible mistake and am deeply sorry for the pain I have caused to my friends, family and especially my wife, Huma,” a tearful Weiner said. “I have not told the truth and done things I sincerely regret.”
In a bizarre beginning to the press conference, Andrew Breitbart, who first broke the story on his website BigGovernment.com, showed up at the press conference and took the podium to answer questions from the assembled press for about 15 minutes.
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“Everything we’ve reported about this … has been true,” Breitbart remarked. “I would like a personally apology from Congressman Weiner.”
Breitbart confirmed he has one more photo of Weiner that he has not yet released, saying, “Suffice it to say it’s of an X-rated nature.”
Minutes after Breitbart stopped taking questions, Rep. Weiner took the podium at the New York Sheraton and began his statements.
Weiner said the initial photo in question was accidently posted on Twitter at the end of May “as part of a joke to a woman in Seattle.” When Weiner realized he had posted an inappropriate photo on Twitter, he “immediately deleted it.”
“I came here to accept full responsibility for what I have done. I am not resigning and people who judge me have a right to do so,” said Weiner. “My primary sense of regret – my apology – goes to my wife. I should not have done this, especially since I was married. I love my wife very much. We have no intention of splitting up over this,” Weiner went on to say.
When repeatedly asked about a reason for his actions, Weiner said, “If you’re looking for some type of deep explanation, I have none. I am just deeply sorry. Almost as soon as I told one lie I knew I would have to cover it by telling others.”
Rep. Weiner said the Blackberry device he used to send the messages was not government issued and most of the messages and correspondence was done on his home computer. Weiner also said the women he contacted for the most part were women he met on Facebook.
Weiner said before his press conference he spoke with Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, indicating she was not happy and “told me as much. She’s very disappointed and told me she loves me and wants us to pull through this.”
Pelosi has asked the House Ethics Committee to investigate Weiner.
Weiner and his wife Huma, a former aide to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, have been married slightly less than a year.
