Weiner ‘sexting’ partner steps forward
WASHINGTON — Disgraced former congressman Anthony Weiner’s bid to become New York’s next mayor appeared to be hanging by a thread Thursday as one of his “sexting” partners emerged from the depths of cyberspace.
Meanwhile, polls indicate his support has tanked as New Yorkers shy away from having America’s most famous cybersex exhibitionist represent their great city.
Sydney Elaine Leathers, 23, a Democratic activist from Indiana, said she is one of the women to whom Weiner, 48, sent pictures of his penis over the Internet.
Weiner resigned from Congress in 2011 after he admitted lying about sending sexually explicit pictures of his manhood over the Internet.
Leathers said Thursday in a blog that she contacted Weiner after his first sex scandal because she was sympathetic with his problem.
Weiner immediately began sending Leathers pictures, which she recently published on the gossip website The Dirty.com. He signed his emails “Carlos Danger.”
She also claimed that Weiner promised to buy her a condo in Chicago where the two could meet.
“I just want to clarify that although I was 22 and technically an adult, I was obviously immature and I acted irresponsibly,” she said on The Dirty. com. “I realize my correspondence with Mr. Anthony Weiner was a huge mistake and I am embarrassed by it. But the facts are the facts, and he’s running for mayor of NYC so I felt I should get my story out there.
“I think it’s important to reiterate the fact that all of this happened with him after his first scandal, so all of his campaign promises about being a changed man are absolute lies,” Leathers continued.
In an interview aired on CNN, she repeated that she felt manipulated by Weiner “because I felt obviously he was saying one thing to me, saying another thing to his wife, saying another thing on the campaign trail. I don’t know who the real Anthony Weiner is.”
Meanwhile, Weiner appeared uncertain Thursday how many women he had “sexted.”
“There are a few,” he told reporters. “It’s not dozens and dozens. It’s six to 10 I suppose.” Later he said, “I don’t believe I had any more than three.”
Weiner’s wife, Huma Abedin, 36, said Tuesday she supports her husband. Abedin is a longtime adviser to Hillary Clinton, who is expected to be the Democratic nominee for the 2016 presidential run. According to CNN, Clinton did not know Abedin was going to make a public statement in support of her husband.
An NBC /Wall Street Journal/ Marist poll taken Wednesday — the day after the sex scandal was revealed — showed a big drop in popularity. His rating sunk to 30 per cent, from 50 and his overall numbers indicate he has fallen well behind in the race to be the Democratic nominee for mayor of New York.
According to reports he was booed Wednesday at a public housing meeting.