Disgraced Democrat Eyes Return To Politics After Conviction For Sexting A Minor
Former U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner has filed to run for a seat on the New York City Council. The move signals an official comeback attempt for the disgraced Democrat, whose political career came to an abrupt end due to numerous sex scandals, which culminated in a conviction for having illicit online contact with a 15-year-old girl.
According to campaign finance records reviewed by the Associated Press, a campaign committee for the disgraced lawmaker’s political comeback, called Weiner 25, was established this past Friday. He is also listed as a candidate for a city council seat in lower Manhattan.
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Then-Congressman Weiner attends a gay pride event in 2010
Weiner later told the AP that he is “still exploring” whether to formally pursue his comeback campaign. He explained that he set up the committee so he could participate in a forum held by the Downtown Independent Democrats later this week.
He referred additional questions to a statement made on his weekly radio show, “The Middle With Anthony Weiner,” where he hinted at a run for office. “I haven’t decided if I want to do this yet,” he said, adding that he is still considering the personal dynamics of a campaign.”The way I always unpack these things is ‘What does it mean for me and my neighbors?’ The city has always been the way that I have looked at service. And, you know, we are Democrats. We stand up… for each other… we don’t like people being victimized by bullies,” the disgraced congressman added.
Weiner was once seen as a rising star in the Democratic Party. He represented a New York congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives for over a decade and was a prodigy of Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY). The Senate Democrat leader personally encouraged Weiner to personally get involved in politics after he worked on Schumer’s staff for a number of years.
He ultimately resigned from Congress in 2011 when it was revealed that he sent lewd photos to several woman from his personal Twitter account. Weiner plotted an immediate comeback in 2013, when he announced a bid for New York City mayor, though the campaign was derailed by additional sex scandals. The former congressman was found to have sent explicit photos to several additional women under the online alias “Carlos Danger.”
In 2017, Weiner pleaded guilty to sending sexually explicit content to a 15-year-old girl and was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison. He was released in 2019 and ordered to register as a sex offender.
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