Disgraced former Democrat Congressman Anthony Weiner. (YouTube, BBC)
By Dave Workman
Senior Editor
Disgraced former New York Congressman Anthony Weiner, now a convicted federal felon, must report to prison by Nov. 6, according to a spokesperson with the U.S. Attorney’s office in Manhattan, and he also has one other problem that is ironic.
The ardent anti-gunner, who earned an “F” rating from the National Rifle Association for his gun control votes, is disqualified from ever possessing a firearm again, not that he ever wanted to. But it is a civil right that he has lost as a result of the guilty plea to a single count of transferring obscene material to a minor, in this case a 15-year-old girl.
Weiner, a one-time protégé of now-Sen. Charles Schumer, succeeded his mentor in the same 9th Congressional District where Schumer served while in the House of Representatives. Schumer is one of Capitol Hill’s most extreme anti-gunners.
Prior to his election to Congress, Weiner – once considered a rising star in the Democratic Party – served on the New York City Council and was also at one time thought to be a contender for the Big Apple mayor’s office. When he tried to run for that position a few years ago, he came in at last place in the primary.
Sentenced by a federal judge to 21 months in prison, Weiner could be out in 18 months with good behavior. He will not be able to vote in addition to no longer having Second Amendment rights.
Perhaps that will not bother Weiner, who voted against prohibiting junk lawsuits against firearm manufacturers on two different occasions while in Congress. He voted against reducing the waiting period on gun show purchases from three days to one day.
The once-spotlighted hipster Democrat, who frequently sparred with fellow lawmakers, has become the butt of late-night television jokes. His fall from grace was self-inflicted and began with the revelation of his “sexting” with women that included sending lewd photographs. He initially lied to the press about it, claiming to have been hacked. That story fell apart rapidly, however, and he finally had to admit the truth.
In January 2016, the New York Post profiled Weiner’s cliff-jump into scandal. He not only humiliated himself, but also his wife, Huma Abedin, who was a close Hillary Rodham Clinton aide. When an FBI investigation uncovered possible links between Weiner’s laptop and Clinton’s email controversy in 2016, it became a campaign issue less than two months before the election. Some people, including Clinton, suggest it contributed to her election loss to Donald Trump.
Abedin filed for divorce about the time Weiner pleaded guilty in federal court back in May. She was not present in the courtroom when he was sentenced.
Perhaps Howie Carr, the Boston radio personality, summed it up in the Boston Herald for legions of Weiner critics when he wrote:
“Remember Gov. Eliot Spitzer — ‘Client No. 9?’ He pleaded guilty to spending tens of thousands of dollars on high-end hookers. He seemed like the absolute bottom of the Democrat barrel, but no!
“The alt-left media liked Client No. 9, but they really loved Weiner. Just look at him — he’s the very picture of a modern Democrat. Beady eyes, sweaty palms, unctuous pandering, secret perv life, lie after lie after lie …”
According to the New York Post, Weiner must pay a $10,000 fine and participate in sex offender outpatient treatment. He must register as a sex offender. He will be on supervised release for three years once he gets out of prison, and he reportedly “must undergo internet monitoring,” the Chicago Tribune reported.
