Congress, Criminal law, Politics, Torts

Weiner To Resign

Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.) will resign today from his seat in Congress. In addition to the political pressure from his own party, Weiner had a couple of strong legal reasons to resign.

I have disagreed with those defending Weiner or opposing his resignation. I could care less about his bizarre fetish with exhibitionist acts. However, he engaged in a pattern of lies that included alleging criminal acts of hacking by others and attacking the media. He is further accused of harassing women with these pictures. I cannot understand the view that a member who showed such utter dishonesty and poor judgment should be forgiven because he is “good for the cause” or a loyal liberal. I agree with the double standard shown in the response of cases like Senator Vitter, but that does not relieve Democrats or liberals of their duty to hold their leaders accountable.

Weiner had two strong legal reasons for resigning. As mentioned in earlier posts, the greatest danger of criminal conduct is his alleged coaching women to lie if contacted by investigators. Yesterday, another woman stepped forward to say that she was pressured to lie by Weiner. Notably, the woman yesterday also said that her efforts to discuss political issues were met by responses from Weiner to get her to engage in sextexting. By resigning Weiner reduces (the admittedly low) chances for a criminal investigation.

Second, Weiner was likely to be investigated for this misconduct and there are risks of claims of false statements as well as the creation of new evidence that could be used against him. This includes possible civil litigation. It also includes possible investigation of Weiner for harassment of women who were contacting him to discuss his work as a congressman. It also includes incidents where Weiner could be charged with using official resources in engaging in this conduct.

By resigning, Weiner shuts down the main threat of investigation that he is facing. The result of that investigation would have likely made it difficult for him to secure a new position — or to come back later and run again as a “healed” individual. The new photos show that this was not a few racy shots but pictures taken from various locations, including the House gym and his office. It also includes claims by women that they tried to get Weiner to discuss his political work and views — not his body parts.

Source: Politico

188 thoughts on “Weiner To Resign”

  1. Mike S.,

    Not to use a phrase I don’t use often is the following….Spot On……

  5. Maybe some are too young to recall this one…..Fresh and Hot off the Grill….

  6. I imagine early on Weiner was hard on soft porn…..but now I am sure he is soft even on hard porn…..

    This one is too hard to resist posting……

  7. Mike S.:

    I understand your annoyance, but I believe Rep. Weiner’s resignation was almost a foregone conclusion. And with what has come out since the initial disclosures, the resignation is clearly appropriate.

    I agree with your view that Democrats are held to a higher standard, but it is also a function of political philosophy. Sen. Vitter and Sen. Ensign are staunchly conservative adherents to unregulated capitalism. They view Rep. Weiner’s transgressions with particular abhorrence because, unlike them, he did not pay fair market price.

  8. Weiner has no one to blame but himself. He should have owned up to his actions from the beginning. If it’s true that Weiner tried to engage women in sexual discussions and sent them X-rated pictures of himself when they had not been solicited, then he most certainly should have resigned. I think what Weiner did to some of the women he corresponded with was as a form of sexual harassment. Think of what would happen to a man who sent female co-workers text messages and photos like the ones Weiner sent to women via Twitter.

  9. He–in more ways than one–has reluctantly become a…resigned Weiner.

  10. ” It’s the sheer stupidity of his behavior. By now any intelligent person knows that anything you post on the Internet is only one click away from being on the Jumbotron in Times Square.”

    I am offended by four acts of stupidity.

    One is Wiener’s for the reason you give above, posting on the net is not private.
    Two is Wiener’s for sexting with twitter where the only thing between your seat and a resignation is apparently three characters “DM ”
    Three is Wiener’s for being too tech ignorant not to understand one and two and thereby showing his incompetence to be in the house in 2011.

    Four is Twitter’s for making it such that “DM ” IS the only thing between a user’s direct message and a public message.

    Actually, I think four bothers me the most.

  12. Although resigning may be a good strategic move, I am not so sure AW asked anybody to lie to law enforcement, I haven’t seen the quote but I thought it was a request to lie to investigative reporters. As far as I know Weiner did not break any laws, and thus a call for him to resign over shame is condemning him without a trial.

    What I think is sad is that some Congressmen commit actually illegal acts and violate their Constitutional oaths with impunity or a wrist slap, but others are forced to resign over absolutely legal sexual acts that have next to nothing to do with their legislative effectiveness or principles. That seems destructively backwards to me. In this case, there isn’t even any hypocrisy involved (like being a homophobic gay man), except on the part of all those Americans that fervently claim to believe in liberty and freedom of speech but yearn to severely punish those that exercise it.

  13. And to think he might have spared the planet untold billion bits of air pollution by apologizing like a man, and resigning immediately.

    Our politicians don’t seem to learn much from the myriad of others who trod before; wore out their welcome and begrudgingly left, too late to call it “honorable.”

    But somewhere in the back of his mind, he suspect he realizes that Eliot Spitzer got a talk show. L.A. police chief Daryl Gates got a talk show. Tom Finneran in Boston got a talk show. Gordon Liddy got a talk show.

    And Gavin Newsom is Lt. Governor of California.

  14. It’s a bitter pill to me and I think he was basically told by his own party they would not allow him to accomplish anything if he remained. I feel this even though the husband of a second cousin of mine may get the seat and he is a good man. I still firmly believe that Democrats are held to a much higher standard and this is especially true if they don’t follow a centrist line. Dennis Kucinich must be spotless in his personal life, or he too would have been taken down, same for Bernie Sanders. That ensign was allowed to have his term run out and Vitter got re-elected indicates that media circuses only seem to swirl around Democrats and/or Progressives. Both their indiscretions were far more egregious and both of them lied about them. All hail Corporate America and the effectiveness of their propaganda machines.

  15. Bruce in Jersey,

    I think the House has been forced to seat someone that “they” said did not meet the qualifications….he was reelected in the special session and….the story goes on….

    Its the same seat that Rangel has today…..

  16. Best for all concerned. But having disciplined their own, the Dems really should make an issue of Vitter.

    BTW my chief criticism of Weiner is not the morality of what he did, and perhaps not even that he lied in a futile attempt to cover up his embarassment. It’s the sheer stupidity of his behavior. By now any intelligent person knows that anything you post on the Internet is only one click away from being on the Jumbotron in Times Square. Congressmen live in a glass house and Weiner was throwing stones at the walls. He demonstrated extraordinarily bad judgment – that, or delusional thinking.

    That said, it’s sad. Cong. Weiner has been a fighter for good causes. I hope he can pull himself together and that his marriage survives. And he may be back, if the voters want him.

  17. JT:

    “I have disagreed with those defending Weiner or opposing his resignation. I could care less about his bizarre fetish with exhibitionist acts. However, he engaged in a pattern of lies that included alleging criminal acts of hacking by others and attacking the media.”

    *************************

    In considering human nature, are the acts really so unrelated? Does the former perversion really have nothing to do with the latter perversion? Logic says they are unrelated; fifty odd years of experience on the planet says they are.

  20. Yeah…yeah..yeah…What job will he land and will the pay be as much as he currently earns….

Comments are closed.