Rep. Anthony Weiner Exploring Legal Action Over ‘Weinergate’ Fiasco

[Hissyspit]

Source: Raw Story

Democratic Rep. Anthony Weiner is consulting with his lawyers after it was reported that the New York congressman sent a racy photo to a female college student from Seattle via Twitter.

Rep. Anthony Weiner exploring legal action over ‘Weinergate’ fiasco
Published on May 30th, 2011
Written by: Eric W. Dolan

Democratic Rep. Anthony Weiner is consulting with his lawyers after it was reported that the New York congressman sent a racy photo to a female college student from Seattle via Twitter.

“We’ve retained counsel to explore the proper next steps and to advise us on what civil or criminal actions should be taken,” Weiner spokesman Dave Arnold told The Daily Caller in an email. “This was a prank. We are loath to treat it as more, but we are relying on professional advice."

Weiner has claimed that his Facebook account was hacked and that, while the photo did appear on his Twitter feed, he did not send it. The photo shows a man’s erect penis outlined in a pair of tight boxer briefs. The photo was first published by Andrew Breitbart’s BigGovernment.

- snip -

An analysis of a screenshot of the congressman’s yFrog account, which was published by BigGovernment, shows the image was manipulated, according to the progressive blog DailyKos. The screenshot was allegedly altered to make it appear that the racy photo was associated with Rep. Weiner’s account. Another DailyKos blogger has suggested that nearly the entire incident was fabricated by a conservative Twitter user.

Read more: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/05/30/rep-anthony-weine... /

[no_hypocrisy]

1. YES!YES!YES!YES!YES!

[ChrisBorg]

2. Bring the FBI in and find out who and how the account was hacked.

Then prosecute to the fullest extent. Anything less is just letting them get away with it.

[wordpix]

66. +1

[proud patriot]

3. GOOD !

These phonies need to fear the LAW!

[SoapBox]

4. Go Anthony Go!

...do it, do it, do it...

Track down this scum and launch everything you can against them.

[angstlessk]

5. Why have I never seen the 'dirty photo'?,,,,I keep lookin but I have not seen

[Iliyah]

6. Goper hacks

and turn about is fair play, but we all know that they can't take what they dish out.

[nenagh]

10. DKos deserves great credit..

for their work on this over the weekend ..

[kestrel91316]

37. I don't need to see it to believe that this incident happened.

[connecticut yankee]

44. It really wasn't that sensational

[TheMadMonk]

53. It's a pair of grey trunks with a lump in them. Taken so close up...

...it took me 3 shots to actually figure it out.

[rsmith6621]

7. I Hate CONSERVATIVE HACKS

....the only game they know how to play is FEAR -OR- SMEAR.

[ck4829]

8. K&R

[aquart]

9. Good. It wasn't a joke and it wasn't funny.

It was a deliberate attempt to destroy the career of an articulate Democrat.

[Dawson Leery]

11. Perhaps it is time for Breitbart to go to jail

[Bette Noir]

12. Agreed. And, just this once, I wouldn't yell

if the arresting officers roughed him up a bit.

[mckara]

13. Sue the Hell Out of Them!!!

[deminks]

14. THIS WAS NOT A PRANK. IT WAS FRAUD DESIGNED TO TAKE THE CONGRESSMAN DOWN.

Sorry for yelling, but I am sick and tired and tired and sick of people treating these goons as pranksters.

[MikeMc]

18. + 1 nt.

[calimary]

21. ABSO-FUCKING-LUTELY!

And yeah, deminks, I join you in SHOUTING at the top of my lungs!!!!!!! We ALL should be shouting!!!

This was NO prank. This was deliberate because evidently somebody in the bad-guy contigent regards him as a pretty effective threat. He does speak out a lot and make a tremendous amount of sense. He's one of our leading lights now. And they would LOVE to discredit him and make his life miserable. So he's doing the exactly-correct thing: turning the tables and discrediting THEM and making THEIR lives miserable. That's the only way to fight these bastards. Because up til now they've been able to do this with no consequences whatsoever.

And if you don't fight, either because you think you don't want to give the scandal any oxygen (yeah, sure, with THIS adversarial "media" nowadays - look what "rising above it" and "not dignifying it with a response" did for John Kerry after he was swiftboated!), or you just don't want to get into the mud or you just don't have the stomach for it, it WILL be perceived in many quarters as being true. "Well, he's not saying anything about it. He isn't denying it. His camp is being awfully quiet about it these days. Hmmm. Must be something to it, then."

NO. You get your ass out there in public and make as big a noise about it as possible, and fight it as hard as you can, and speak out as hard as you can, and DEFEND YOURSELF!!!! Shirley Sherrod took far too long. Her FIRST and IMMEDIATE reflect should have been to call in the lawyers - as many of them as she could afford. Before anyone felt they had to take time and look at it fully and otherwise jerk off and waste precious days. The FIRST thing she should have done was to lawyer up. People in this country like fighters. Whether for good or bad. They have more respect for people who yell and scream and make a stink, regardless whether there's any justification. I mean, look what it did for the teabaggers! Even to this very day. Maybe 20 of 'em show up at some lame-ass "rally" and yet they get coverage up the ying-yang! Too many Americans just like and approve of the sound and fury. So our side needs to start making some! ESPECIALLY when we have PLENTY of justification! If you take the so-called high road, you're regarded these days as a wuss, a wimp, spineless, and probably also guilty of whatever shit the bad guys are trying to throw at you. You HAVE TO respond, and the sooner the better!!!

I hope he goes all the way with this, and doesn't decide after looking at it that there's nothing worth doing except issuing one of those fabulous "strongly-worded letters." Which the bad guys will just take to the bathroom to use for toilet paper.

[snagglepuss]

36. That has to been written on a rock and delivered to the DNC to be held for

posterity.

[calimary]

49. Our side HAS TO respond. Whether they want to or not. That's the stock in trade

of the bad guys in the propaganda war.

Remember when ann coulter got her knickers in a knot over the Jersey Girls - the 9/11 widows, who'd speak out on something she'd inevitably disagree with, but somehow their personal loss during 9/11 indemnified them and gave them protection. They were HUGELY sympathetic characters in the media, for good reason, and it was AWFULLY hard to criticize them about anything. You really didn't dare. and ann coulter hated-hated-hated that. She just vomited bile about how unfair it was. She kept screeching - "we can't respond!" "We can't respond!" She insisted it was her right to lambaste them and call them names because they took stands she disagreed and she hated how it reflected poorly on her and her un-American, traitorous cronies if she dared to criticize them for anything. "We can't respond! We can't respond! UNFAIR!!!!"

I will NEVER forget that. That just gave away the whole game, to me. It's being able to fire back, as wantonly and recklessly and noisily as you damn well feel like, and who cares what anybody else thinks. It's far more important just to get your criticism or your twisted world-view or your complete bullshit out there on the record, regardless.

Well, I think WE need to rip a page outta her book.

Taste of their own medicine. See how they like it.

We need to fight a LOT harder, a LOT meaner, and yes, even a lot dirtier. Nobody EVER said politics was a clean business. Anyone who thinks otherwise is just being naive in this day and age. And unfortunately, as much as we would wish it to be otherwise, naivete doesn't win elections.

[jaysunb]

50. I think I wholeheartedly agree w/ you

[Beartracks]

54. Bingo. n/t

[Enthusiast]

61. That is exactly what it was.

Criminals.

[Pacifist Patriot]

75. +100

[MrModerate]

15. Interestingly, the entire underbelly of the wingnutariat . . .

Is just about peeing itself with glee over this.

"Of course Weiner would have sent a dick-pic by tweet to a college girl (non-white) in Seattle. He's a liberal, right, and only liberals are that stupid."

One certainly hopes Weiner isn't that stupid. Because if he isn't and Breitbart has one of his phony scams blow up in his face again, it might be the end of him and O'Keefe as well.

[Doctor_J]

34. Yeah...

it might be the end of him and O'Keefe as well.

Please share whatever you're smoking. this won't do anything to Breitbart's career

[MrModerate]

51. It's really not that much of a stretch . . .

Breitbart has been on a downward slope for some time. O'Keefe's "music video" was particularly embarassing and Breitbart has been busily trying to pick a fight with Glenn Beck to whip up some more press for himself.

If he's guilty of colluding in a case of felony hacking (not saying he is, but that's one of the scenarios floating around out there), then the legal case itself could quite likely grind him down at the same time making him even more toxic for the few 'Licans with an ounce of shame left.

I realize that last group is increasingly small, but every little bit helps.

[Frances]

16. Repubs should have to follow the same rules as Dems

The person who hacked Palin's emails was prosecuted and got a sentence, so whoever did this should have to obey the rules.

[The Wielding Truth]

26. You are so correct! This is character assassination and worse.

[backscatter712]

17. I'll bet there's enough evidence there to make a case for malicious defamation.

Rep. Weiner is damned right to be looking at suing Breitbart for every penny he's got!

[Guilded Lilly]

19. Send them to Hell Anthony.

[madrchsod]

20. the girl who received this may have a case too....

[LiberalFighter]

22. Oh yes.

Maybe get those responsible classified as sex criminals and thereby restricting their movements and employment.

[starroute]

23. Breitbart has become the WikiLeaks of right-wing smear jobs

The article linked in the OP notes that there's no evidence tying the creation of the hoax directly to Breitbart, and that may well be true.

But as with those Missouri college lecture videos, it seems that any young Rove wannabe who fabricates something scurrilous about the left shoots it right off to Breitbart -- who's all too happy to publish without any concern for the facts.

The result is that simply by existing, Breitbart encourages the manufacture of these smears.

[Downwinder]

40. More like "The National Observer" of the right.

Wikileaks establishes the authenticity of their releases.

[RyanPsych]

24. Burn that idiot Breitbart

How anyone (including...I know...HuffPo) every took him seriously is a nasty indictment on the state of our media

[nolabear]

25. You cannot make "jokes" like this in today's political climate. He should absolutely pursue this.

[0rganism]

27. this action would have to meet the standards of intentional defamation

Even public figures still have some modicum of protection from slander and libel. Sue their asses, Rep. Weiner!

[ck4829]

28. Either way, this is going to force Breitbart's hand

He can't really do a victory jig because the lawsuit can't be done because of a technicality. He's going to have to face the music one way or another.

[Doctor_J]

32. Sounds like us. Debating legal minutiae and semantics while

the wingers are trying to destroy a great congressman.

We suck

[wordpix]

43. No we don't, we're for Weiner! Go, Anthony, we're behind you

[Beartracks]

55. That is true. Giving up one's right to privacy...

... does not involve giving up one's right to protection from slander and defamation. There's no "but it's free speech!" defense for slander and defamation.

--------------------------------------

[La Lioness Priyanka]

29. fiasco lasted 5 minutes and i decree that it cannot have -gate status

[emilyg]

30. Good.

[Doctor_J]

31. "Exploring Legal Action"

That won't take more than a few years

I bet Breitbart is .

[BlueCollar]

33. Good....n/t

[Randypiper]

35. I don't think action will be against Breitbart

unless you think he was the hacker.

[wordpix]

65. he may have paid the hacker to do the hit, er, hack

[madokie]

38. I hope to someday get to vote for Anthony Weiner for President

to me the perfect ticket would be him teamed up with Alan Grayson
2016

[tblue37]

39. Since the young woman has suffered threats and harassment, they

should definitely seek criminal charges AND sue for civil penalties.

[wordpix]

41. invasion of privacy, identification theft, defamation of character...sounds like Breitbart

[Plucketeer]

42. Go gitum, Anthony!

Hang his/their ass out to dry!

[Canuckistanian]

45. Glad to see legal action

This is what ACORN should have done. Lawyered up and sued Breitbart IMMEDIATELY.

Instead, they caved, fearing "bad publicity" from Fox.

Good to see people like Weiner and Shirley Sherrod fighting back,

[Aerows]

46. If it isn't true

Nail them to the wall by their proverbial Weiners .

Personally, I think this is the dirty tricks squad, but at some point someone needs to stand up to the assholes like Brietbart. I understand why he doesn't want to do so, but at some point, somebody has to say enough is enough.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

47. Has Breitbart even posted any kind of retraction or even taken down the story?

[SnakeEyes]

56. Maybe haven't followed it enough

But what does Breitbart need to actually retract? There was a photo that was tweeted from Weiner's account.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

59. No.

It looks like someone photoshopped something to make it look like it was Tweeted from his account.

[Aerows]

48. If Weiner is not in anyway guilty

Then he is doing exactly what someone has needed to do to Brietbart for a long time - hoist him on his own petard.

Let him drag out all the slander, sleeze and commentary possible while the FBI investigates. If Weiner wasn't involved, that's exactly what he's doing, and all the right-wing glee over this is going to screw them harder than just one Weiner.

[jaysunb]

52. Another reason why, ELECTIONS MATTER

The Courts...not only the SCOTUS (needless to say is the highest priority ) but the lower Courts that this kind of stuff is acted upon first.

Go AW !

[SnakeEyes]

57. What I don't understand is...

why they are only considering legal action? This hack was a serious breach of a sitting member of congress. The FBI/Secret Service should have been contacted immediately and any evidence retained. I would have thought it would be automatic, that when a member of congress reports being hacked that there are protocols in place that just happen whether someone wants to pursue things or not. Twitter should have been notified immediately as well so that they could assist (which didn't happen since he never lost his "verified" status as occurs in the case of hacks).

This should be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

[Doctor_J]

71. Because this is considered major push back for Dems

If someone did this to a Repuke that that would already be in jail, and receiving death threats from hundreds or maybe thousands of tebaggers and hate radio addicts. But since it was perpetrated on a Dem, "contemplating legal action" is about as aggressive as it will get.

This is a major reason why the far right has taken over the country over the last 20 years.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

58. Breitfart always finds a way to remove himself from it

"Who will rid me of this meddlesome Congressman?"

[tavalon]

60. Now, that's how it's done

President Obama, please take note.

[girl_interrupted]

62. K&R

[Vinca]

63. I knew the name Breitbart would come up. Sue, Rep. Weiner, sue.

[RedCloud]

64. A Weiner got exposed on the Internet???

[AngryAmish]

67. Proving who the hacker is should be easy

Doesn't twitter keep a record of the IP addresses of who sends a tweet? Although they can be spoofed (I think - some IT folks can help out on this account) knowing the IP would do wonders. This hacker is doomed.

[rayofreason]

69. That's right.

This should be an easy find. Whoever sent that message should be exposed and charged.

One curious thing though - why the hell was Weiner following a 21-year-old college student on Twitter?

[colorado_ufo]

68. This is actually great news:

It means that the repubs are being very threatened by Anthony!

[bongbong]

70. Ha ha!

Every time another repig smear becomes public, it becomes even more hilarious that pearl-clutchers on DU admonish me for calling these pigs "repigs".

[Vinee]

80. I just had to LOL at this.

[DFW]

72. And just ini case the trail leads right back to O'Keefe and Breitbart....

Toss the both of them away for 15 years at hard labor. I suggest Angola, Louisiana.....

[alp227]

73. obviously it's a break-in. does this guy even KNOW any college students,

much less one from SEATTLE?? And the pun regarding his last name...it's just so obvious...you have to be a dummy freeper to believe this is for real

[liberalmuse.com]

74. It's funny..

..how Republicans have to make it up, whereas it just falls into our laps. We got it easy.

[Duval]

76. Damn right! Engage FBI! n/t

[Name removed]

77. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[bemildred]

78. This ought to be interesting, I've never seen a guy sue himself before. nt

[Cid_B]

79. There is precedent...

See the South Park case of everybody vs. everybody as represented by Kyle's dad...