The six-term congressman from Brooklyn insisted that he had broken no laws and vowed to remain in office, calling the matter an “aberration from which I’ve learned.’’
During an extraordinary 27-minute appearance, the congressman went on to describe a side of his life that he had kept secret from his closest confidants and family members, in which he befriended young female admirers over the Internet and engaged in intimate sexual banter with them.
“Over the past few years, I have engaged in several inappropriate conversations conducted over Twitter, Facebook, e-mail, and occasionally on the phone with women I had met online,’’ Weiner said.
Weiner said he had never met in person the women with whom he corresponded and added: “I don’t know what I was thinking. This was a destructive thing to do. I’m apologetic for doing it.’’
But Weiner’s political standing appeared in grave danger after his news conference. There was a striking absence of any public expressions of support from his colleagues, and the House Democratic leader, Representative Nancy Pelosi, called for an ethics investigation into Weiner’s conduct.
“I am deeply disappointed and saddened about this situation,’’ she said.
House ethics rules state that members should conduct themselves “at all times in a manner that shall reflect creditably on the House.’’
Weiner’s public confession was prompted yesterday when Andrew Breitbart, a conservative blogger and provocative critic of the left, followed through on a vow to publish photographs of Weiner that the congressman had sent to a woman online.
As Breitbart began to unveil the photos one by one, from midmorning until early afternoon, Weiner’s staff seemed paralyzed, failing to answer questions or challenge the authenticity of the photographs.
One of the pictures showed Weiner, his wedding ring visible, holding up a sign identifying himself to the woman, who had expressed skepticism that she was exchanging messages with the congressman. The most explicit featured Weiner, barechested at his home computer, with a row of family photos arranged behind him.
