Rep. Anthony Weiner Requests Leave of Absence; Seeks Treatment
[UPDATE] 6/11 4:20 p.m.
Rep. Anthony Weiner is requesting a leave of absence to seek treatment to become a better husband. Weiner's request comes amid numerous calls from Democrats to resign following his Twitter scandal.
Spokeswoman Risa Heller said Saturday that Weiner departed this morning to seek professional treatment. "In light of that, he will request a short leave of absence from the House of Representatives so that he can get evaluated and map out a course of treatment to make himself well."
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"Congressman Weiner takes the views of his colleagues very seriously and has determined that he needs this time to get healthy and make the best decision possible for himself, his family and his constituents."
[This is a breaking news update. Check CP's earlier story below.]
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi has called on fellow Democrat Rep. Anthony Weiner to resign on Saturday, following his Twitter scandal.
Pelosi said Weiner should get help "without the pressures of being a member of Congress," as reported by The Associated Press.
Intense pressure to resign is also coming from Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) and Steve Israel (D-N.Y.), who said Weiner's "inappropriate behavior" has embarrassed himself, his family and the House.
The calls come just after Weiner (D-N.Y.) acknowledged Friday that he had online contact with a minor from Delaware but insisted that there were no "indecent" exchanges.
Fox News reported Friday that police interviewed the 17-year-old student at her family's home.
Officer Tracey Duffy, a New Castle County police spokeswoman, told AP that officers were informed about the alleged contact between the congressman and the teen.
"The teen has been interviewed and disclosed no information regarding any criminal activity," Duffy said, adding that the investigation was continuing.
Weiner confessed on June 6 that he sent lewd photos of himself to a woman in Washington State via Twitter and then lied about it. Originally, he claimed to be the victim of a Twitter prank. He also revealed that he had exchanged explicit photos and messages with six women on Facebook and other social networking sites for three years.
He said he has not had physical contact with any of the women.
On the day of his confession, Pelosi asked the House Ethics Committee to investigate Weiner to determine whether he violated any of the chamber's rules.
Despite the pressure to resign, Weiner has repeatedly stated that he will stay in office. A Marist University poll for New York’s Channel One also showed 51 percent of New Yorkers believe he should remain in office.
Weiner has been married to Huma, a former aide to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, for less than a year. Huma is pregnant with the couple's first child.
