Congressman Weiner denies sending lewd Twitter pic
US Congressman Anthony Weiner says he is the victim of hacking after a photo of his crotch was sent from his Twitter account to a college student whom he follows.
Democratic Representative Anthony Weiner’s attempts to end speculation surrounding the photograph – a scandal Twitter users have dubbed #weinergate – have led many commentators in the US to question his handling of the controversy.
The seven-term congressman told reporters at a news conference in Washington: “We know for sure I didn’t send this photograph.”
But he told MSNBC he “can’t say with certitude” that the waist-down photo was not him.
Hinting that the image could be a digitally altered picture of himself, he added: “We’re concerned about saying anything definitively. Pictures get manipulated, pictures get dropped into accounts.
This seems like it was a prank to make fun of my name. When you are named Weiner that happens a lot. Congressman Anthony Weiner
“We’ve asked an internet security firm and a law firm to take a hard look at this to come up with a conclusion about what happened and to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
“Maybe it started out being a photograph of mine… I’m going to say that I can’t say with certitude it’s me or it’s not,” he continued.
Weiner later told Reuters: “This seems like it was a prank to make fun of my name. When you are named Weiner that happens a lot.”
The politician, who is married to an aide to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, said he will hire private investigators to look at the matter, but refused to refer the incident to the police or FBI.
“I’m not sure I want to put national, federal resources into trying to figure out who posted a picture on Weiner’s website, uh, whatever. I’m not really sure it rises, no pun intended, to that level,” he quipped.
#weinergate in the Twittersphere
@monica_vv: cant believe all us networks are still talking about congressman Weiner's underwear - do viewers really care about this?
@jswatz: The surfeit of bad Weiner puns shows that America is, emotionally, a sixth grader. Which is one of the things I love about our great nation
@wexler: The real losers in #Weinergate are the poor hill press secretaries who have been trying to get their bosses to start tweeting.
@piersmorgan: Is 'I can't say with certitude' the new 'I did not have sexual relations with that woman'? #weinergate
Weiner has said he does not know the student in Seattle who received the photo; she has also stated that she does not know him.
But Weiner, who has 50 000 followers, has not explained why she was one of just 198 people he has chosen to follow on the social media site.
Democrat strategist Steve McMahon said the Congressman’s media strategy had been questionable.
I’m amazed somebody as smart and media-savvy as he is can’t see the impact of how he’s handled it. Steve McMahon, Democrat strategist
“His answers have raised more questions than they’ve resolved,” McMahon said.
“I’m amazed somebody as smart and media-savvy as he is can’t see the impact of how he’s handled it,” he continued.
Weiner is the third New York Congressman in little over a year to be caught up in a sex scandal. Republican Rep. Chris Lee resigned earlier this year after shirtless photos he sent to a woman surfaced online. Democratic Rep. Eric Massa resigned in March 2010 amid a sexual harassment scandal.