Ex-U.S. Congressman Weiner pleads guilty in teen 'sexting' case

[rooster59]

Ex-U.S. Congressman Weiner pleads guilty in teen 'sexting' case

By Brendan Pierson

 

Former U.S. Congressman Anthony Weiner exits U.S. Federal Court, after pleading guilty to one count of sending obscene messages to a minor, ending an investigation into a "sexting" scandal that played a role in last year's U.S. presidential election, in New York City, U.S., May 19, 2017. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

 

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Former U.S. Congressman Anthony Weiner wept on Friday as he pleaded guilty to sending sexually explicit messages to a teenage girl, capping a "sexting" scandal that played a role in last year's U.S. presidential election during its waning days.

 

Wearing a navy suit, maroon tie and his wedding band, a tearful Weiner, 52, described his conduct before U.S. District Judge Loretta Preska in New York City.

 

"I have a sickness, but I do not have an excuse," Weiner said, apologizing to the 15-year-old girl to whom he sent inappropriate images and messages last year.

 

Hours after the court hearing, his wife Huma Abedin, a senior aide to 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, filed for divorce in a Manhattan court, according to the New York Post.

 

A lawyer for Abedin did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

 

The charge of transferring obscene material to a minor carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, but Weiner is likely to get less when sentenced on Sept. 8. As part of his plea agreement, federal prosecutors said they would consider a term between 21 months and 27 months "fair and appropriate."

 

The plea deal appeared to seal the demise of a once-promising political career derailed by a series of scandals, stemming from what Weiner described in court as a compulsive need to seek sexual attention from women on social media.

 

The investigation into his exchanges with the teenage girl also roiled the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign days before Election Day.

 

While searching Weiner's laptop, federal agents found a batch of emails from his wife. As a result, James Comey, then director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, announced in late October that the agency was reviewing the messages to determine whether to reopen its investigation into Clinton's handling of official correspondence.

 

Clinton, who was leading in national polls at the time, has blamed her loss to Republican Donald Trump in part on Comey's announcement, even though the director said two days before the election in November that the review had uncovered no new evidence.

 

Abedin had announced her separation from Weiner last summer after the latest round of explicit messages emerged, including an image of Weiner's crotch as he lay in bed with their young son.

 

'DESTRUCTIVE IMPULSES'

 

The controversy over Clinton's use of a private email server while she was U.S. secretary of state dogged her throughout the campaign. Trump accused Clinton of endangering national security by exposing classified information to potential hacking.

 

In testimony to Congress two weeks ago, Comey said he felt "mildly nauseous" at the suggestion his actions may have swayed the election, but added that he had no regrets.

 

Trump fired Comey days later amid the FBI's probe into whether Trump's campaign colluded with Russia to defeat Clinton, an allegation the president has denied.

 

Weiner, who served parts of New York City for 12 years in the U.S. House of Representatives, resigned in 2011 after an explicit photograph was posted on his Twitter account. He initially claimed his account had been hacked but eventually acknowledged he had sent the image as well as inappropriate messages to several women.

 

Two years later, he announced a run for New York City mayor but dropped out of the race when more explicit messages became public.

 

The federal investigation into Weiner came to light last year after the Daily Mail, a British newspaper, published an interview with the North Carolina teen.

 

On Friday, Weiner said he has been receiving "intensive" mental health treatment since then.

 

"These destructive impulses brought great devastation to family and friends, and destroyed my life's dream of public service," Weiner said.

 

In a statement, acting U.S. Attorney in Manhattan Joon Kim said, "Weiner's conduct was not only reprehensible, but a federal crime, one for which he is now convicted and will be sentenced."

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-05-20

[wombat]

"I have a sickness''..............that allowed him to be elected.

 

[pmarlin]

The OP neglected to say that this creep is a Democrat.  If it were a Republican they would have mentioned that a dozen times.

[kamahele]

9 minutes ago, pmarlin said:

The OP neglected to say that this creep is a Democrat.  If it were a Republican they would have mentioned that a dozen times.

Everyone knows he was a democratic politician. He's been out of office now for years.

[kamahele]

What a putz. He had really bright future as a politician. He would have been a leader in the Democratic party for sure and he had a smart, beautiful and powerful wife too and completely F'ed it up.

[Ramen087]

Carlos Danger... 'nuff said.

[Jingthing]

45 minutes ago, kamahele said:

What a putz. He had really bright future as a politician. He would have been a leader in the Democratic party for sure and he had a smart, beautiful and powerful wife too and completely F'ed it up.

Yep.

A tragic case of how the could have been mighty has fallen.

A very bright man with good political instincts but the USA isn't France so he's so over. 

[thaibeachlovers]

3 hours ago, kamahele said:

What a putz. He had really bright future as a politician. He would have been a leader in the Democratic party for sure and he had a smart, beautiful and powerful wife too and completely F'ed it up.

He really was sick though. His actions were not that of a sane person.

[elgordo38]

3 hours ago, kamahele said:

What a putz. He had really bright future as a politician. He would have been a leader in the Democratic party for sure and he had a smart, beautiful and powerful wife too and completely F'ed it up.

Seems to have a rather small head on his shoulders looking at the picture was another head doing the thinking just asking. 

[ilostmypassword]

17 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

He really was sick though. His actions were not that of a sane person.

Yes, he definitely didn't belong in the Congress. The White house is another matter though.

[elgordo38]

This is the second time around for Mr. Wiener. Any bet on thirds??

[IAMHERE]

Sure hope he gets better, we need more like him in Washington. Just stay with 18 and above girls is all he needs to do.

[naboo]

9 hours ago, pmarlin said:

The OP neglected to say that this creep is a Democrat.  If it were a Republican they would have mentioned that a dozen times.

4th paragraph, read it again.

[connda]

He'll probably get a hand slap and parole.  

[whaleboneman]

3 hours ago, IAMHERE said:

Sure hope he gets better, we need more like him in Washington. Just stay with 18 and above girls is all he needs to do.

How will having more sexual perverts in Washington help the country? And sexually harassing adults on-line is also illegal.

[bendejo]

He didn't even get face-to-face meet-ups, much less get his weenie wet, with the stuff he was doing, and it cost him his career, his marriage, his political standing, and now faces possible prison time.

Jackass.

 

Before all this he was the new hope of the Democratic Party, outstanding among the gaggle of callow candyasses.

 

 

[baboon]

12 hours ago, kamahele said:

What a putz. He had really bright future as a politician. He would have been a leader in the Democratic party for sure and he had a smart, beautiful and powerful wife too and completely F'ed it up.

A real waste of an extraordinary political talent. Watching him on YouTube dismantling his opponents was poetry in motion. However he just can't keep his willy in his pants and needs to pay the price.

Shame on him for both what he has done and for all those people whose lives he could have made better.

[bendejo]

44 minutes ago, connda said:

He'll probably get a hand slap and parole.  

 

And an injunction against having access to internet.

 

 

[pmarlin]

11 hours ago, naboo said:

4th paragraph, read it again.

Wrong.

"Hours after the court hearing, his wife Huma Abedin, a senior aide to 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, filed for divorce in a Manhattan court, according to the New York Post."

[wgdanson]

16 hours ago, elgordo38 said:

Seems to have a rather small head on his shoulders looking at the picture was another head doing the thinking just asking. 

Yeh, the head of his knob was thinking.

 

[petesc55]

[elgordo38]

3 hours ago, wgdanson said:

Yeh, the head of his knob was thinking.

 

Give the man a ciiigar

[thaibeachlovers]

13 hours ago, bendejo said:

He didn't even get face-to-face meet-ups, much less get his weenie wet, with the stuff he was doing, and it cost him his career, his marriage, his political standing, and now faces possible prison time.

Jackass.

 

Before all this he was the new hope of the Democratic Party, outstanding among the gaggle of callow candyasses.

 

 

LOL. The Dems did need somebody to rescue them from the morass of their own making. However, Weiner seems more like  typical Dems politician, so never going to be him.

Look at the farce maquerading as  political party- the DNC was/ is full of corrupt people. They sabotaged Bernie, and gave debate questions to HRC. HRC herself- awful candidate, terrible campaign, but it's all "the Russians" fault. The other Dems melting down over each and any possible thing- do they actually believe any of the garbage they are spouting?

They do need a saviour, but none around at present.

[Jingthing]

A real life fictional character.

Name is Weiner.

Repeated sex scandals. 

Reputed for his real bigness. 

Also known as Carlos Danger.

 

[metisdead]

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