Disgraced Ex-Rep. Anthony Weiner Files To Run For NYC Council 7 Years After His Texting Scandal Helped Sink Hillary Clinton

Former Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-New York) formally filed to run for New York City Council seven years after his texting scandal drove him from politics.

In September 2017, Weiner was sentenced to 21 months in prison for exchanging lewd text messages with a 15-year-old girl. Weiner has been caught up in texting scandals ever since 2011 but repeatedly lapsed back into compulsive behavior. He pleaded guilty on May 19, 2017, and took responsibility for his actions.

A federal investigation into his actions was launched after a tabloid published an exposé on the 15-year-old in 2016. 

This led the FBI to find emails on his laptop between the former New York congressman’s then-wife, Huma Abedin, a senior aide to Hillary Clinton. There were also emails between Weiner and Clinton herself. 

This led to then-FBI Director James Comey‘s inquiry, which eventually hurt Clinton’s chances in the 2016 presidential election. Abedin filed for divorce on the day Weiner pleaded guilty in the case. She did, however, ask for leniency from the judge on behalf of their son.

In November 2017, the former congressman reported to the Federal Medical Center Devens in Massachusetts.

Now, Weiner has his eye set on the soon-to-be-vacant Council District 2 seat, representing neighborhoods in Lower Manhattan. 

The former congressman registered his political committee, Weiner 25, with the Campaign Finance Board on Dec. 6 and later filed for the 2nd District spot.

This filing is one of Weiner’s latest attempts to get back into public office despite his scandal-plagued past.

The seat is currently held by Carlina Rivera, who is term-limited and will leave office at the end of next year. 

Other candidates have also filed for the position, including nonprofit leader Sarah Batchu, Assembly Member Harvey D. Epstein, Manhattan Community Board 3 Chair Andrea Gordillo, Jason Murillo and Allison Ryan.

Over the last few weeks, Weiner publicly teased his return, telling New Yorkers he desires to be involved with them again.

“I’m thinking about it. I’m wrestling with it,” he stated on his weekly radio show on 77WABC Saturday afternoon, noting what he described as a variety of quality-of-life issues in his district and the city overall. “I love doing this job on the radio, but I want to be of service.”

“The things in my past, the things about my addiction, the things about my acting out, the things about my background – it’s a lot, it’s a lot,” he added. “But we’re at a moment that we Democrats, we seem like we come into knife fights carrying library books all the time.”

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