from wsj

Weiner's New Confession Rocks N.Y. Mayor Race

New Revelations of Politician's Online Habits Jolt Primary Contest

• Article
• Video
• Comments (155)

MORE IN POLITICS & POLICY »

• smaller
• Larger

• facebook
• twitter
• google plus
• linked in

• Email
• Print
• Save↓ More

By 
• ANDREW GROSSMAN
 
• CONNECT

Anthony Weiner admits that at least some new, sexually charged online exchanges posted on a website Monday and attributed to him were, in fact, his. Pope Francis' push to bring the papacy to the streets is raising a host of challenges.

NEW YORK—Former U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner jolted the New York City mayoral race on Tuesday, saying his habit of sending lewd pictures and messages to women he met online had continued well past his June 2011 resignation from Congress.
"I said that other texts and photos were likely to come out, and today they have," Mr. Weiner said at a news conference. "While some things that have been posted today are true and some are not, there is no question that what I did was wrong."

More

• New Revelations Test Mayoral Campaign
•  Video: Anthony Weiner: Full Tuesday Q&A
•  Video: Weiner's Wife, Huma, Says She's Forgiven Him
• Metropolis: Anthony Weiner Apologizes After New Messages Emerge

Mr. Weiner said he is no longer engaged in such behavior.
The revelation, prompted by postings Monday on a gossip website, raised questions about Mr. Weiner's ability to maintain the strong position he has held in recent polls of the crowded Democratic primary race. It also led some rivals to call for Mr. Weiner's resignation, though he vowed to stay in the race.

Former congressman Anthony Weiner addresses revelations of new explicit online messages and says he plans to stay in the race for New York City mayor.

Sexually charged messages sent after his resignation from Congress would be "very bad," said Bill Cunningham, a New York City political consultant who isn't working on a campaign. "That would indicate that he didn't learn his lesson," he said, speaking before Mr. Weiner told a room full of reporters in Manhattan that his online activity had continued after he resigned.
Mr. Weiner could be helped, though, by the appearance Tuesday of his wife, Huma Abedin, a longtime close aide to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Ms. Abedin was absent when Mr. Weiner resigned and has stayed largely out of the limelight.

Enlarge Image

Keith Bedford for The Wall Street Journal

Anthony Weiner speaks during a news conference in New York on July 23.

"Anthony's made some horrible mistakes, both before he resigned from Congress and after. But I do very strongly believe that it is between us and our marriage," she said, standing beside him. "I love him, I have forgiven him, I believe in him, and as he has said from the beginning, we are moving forward."
Mr. Weiner resigned from Congress after he admitted to sending lewd messages and photos to women online and then lying about it. He has tried to resurrect his political career this year with a bid for mayor. The most recent poll, conducted by the New York Times and Siena College, showed him in second place in the Democratic primary behind City Council Speaker Christine Quinn.
Another New York City consultant, Republican E. O'Brien Murray, said Ms. Abedin's presence would boost her husband. "Without her, his campaign should be dead," he said. "With her, he can get through this."
—Michael Howard Saul contributed to this article.Write to Andrew Grossman at andrew.grossman@wsj.com

A version of this article appeared July 23, 2013, on page A2 in the U.S. edition of The Wall Street Journal, with the headline: New Weiner Confession Rocks N.Y. Mayor Race.