Hello, and welcome to week two of Weinergate, the boner-pic scandal that is slowly chipping away at the reputation (and mayoral hopes) of Congressman Anthony Weiner. It doesn’t look like things are going to get better for him anytime soon, because Andrew Breitbart claims to have a cache of “photographs, chats, and emails” from a completely different alleged Weiner Internet pal. It’s Breitbart, so approach it all with a healthy dose of skepticism. But if the evidence pans out, it sounds very, very damaging:
The detailed new information suggests that the Brooklyn- and Queens-based representative and the young woman in question were involved in an online, consensual relationship involving the mutual exchange of intimate photographs.
BigGovernment.com and BigJournalism.com were approached regarding this information more than a week prior to the separate, independent event of Friday, May 27, 2011, when a link to the now-infamous “gray underwear” photograph appeared publicly on Rep. Weiner’s Twitter feed.
What’s an “intimate photograph” that’s not of an “extreme, graphic nature”? More underwear-encased bulges? Are we going to get Weiner doing one of these? Stay tuned.
Weinergate Bombshell: New Woman Comes Forward Claiming Cache of Intimate Photos and Online Communications with Beleaguered Congressman [Big Government]
Update: So there’s no genitalia involved, but somehow this photo of Weiner — and this time, there’s no question it’s him — posing with a bunch of cats is even creepier than the original bulge photo when you consider the e-mail’s (misspelled) subject line, “Me and the pussys”:
Breitbart has also posted another photo of Weiner holding up a sign in an effort to prove he was “taking photographs contemporaneously.”
So far, nothing overtly sexual. But every time we refresh Big Government, we’re a little scared about what we’ll see next.
Update II: Breitbart’s drip-drip of Weiner photos continues, with the latest installment composed of four shirtless shots like the one below.
You would think the downfall of Chris Lee would have served as a lesson to everyone else in office. You would think.
Fun fact: You can just barely make out Bill Clinton in a framed photograph behind Weiner’s left shoulder.
Breitbart says that on May 18, Weiner sent the now infamous grey underwear crotch shot to this mystery woman, and, later that day, e-mailed another photo that was “extremely graphic” and “leaves nothing to the imagination.”
Update III: When it rains, it pours. Radar has what it says is a raunchy Facebook chat between Weiner and a middle-aged Nevada woman. The woman claims to have “more than 200 messages from him and they’re all explicit in nature.” She also says that she and Weiner once had a 30-minute phone sex conversation.
Update IV: Liz Benjamin reports that Weiner’s office “appears to be on lockdown,” while Ben Smith says that his “spokesman isn’t responding to requests for comment today.” Can’t blame him.
Will Weiner resign? Should he? Discuss.
Update V: Who is the woman that Weiner sent these photos to? We’ll find out soon! The Times reports:
Mr. Breitbart, a provocative scourge of the political left, said in an interview that he knows who the woman is and that she would be stepping forward shortly to explain how she came into possession of the photos.
“You’re going to know who this person is by tomorrow,” Mr. Breitbart said. “She is going to come out of her anonymity in a very short time. She will be coming forward to communicate the means by which she received these photos. I think it will be clear that she is telling the truth.”
An ABC News official said that the network has conducted an interview with a woman, who says she received the photos from Mr. Weiner, evidently the same photos Mr. Breitbart obtained.
Update VII: Weiner will speak to the press at 4 p.m.
Update VIII: According to a producer for NY1, Weiner won’t resign at his news conference.
