Anthony Weiner and Huma Abedin to Separate After His Latest Sexting Scandal
Huma Abedin, the wife of the former Representative Anthony D. Weiner, announced on Monday that the couple were separating in the wake of a report that Mr. Weiner had been involved in another sexting scandal.
Mr. Weiner, who resigned in 2011 after it was revealed he had been sending lewd messages and photos to random women online, apparently deleted his Twitter account on Monday after The New York Post reported that he had exchanged sexual messages with an unidentified woman last year.
The initial scandal destroyed his political career and strained his marriage to Ms. Abedin, a top aide to Hillary Clinton.
On Monday, Ms. Abedin said in a statement: “After long and painful consideration and work on my marriage, I have made the decision to separate from my husband. Anthony and I remain devoted to doing what is best for our son, who is the light of our life. During this difficult time, I ask for respect for our privacy.”
Ms. Abedin has been by Mrs. Clinton’s side for two decades, first as an intern in the first lady’s office in the 1990s and then as a top aide as Mrs. Clinton began her own political career as a United States senator from New York. Ms. Abedin is one of only a handful of advisers who have served on both of Mrs. Clinton’s presidential campaigns - a mark of loyalty and trust.
Mrs. Clinton strongly supported Ms. Abedin when Mr. Weiner’s sexually charged text messages first came to light in 2011, a year into their marriage, and again in 2013 when Mr. Weiner was running for mayor of New York.
Friends of Mrs. Clinton said that she spoke to Ms. Abedin at length about the marriages and her best interests during that time and supported Ms. Abedin’s decision to remain with Mr. Weiner and work on their marriage.
When did the latest sexting occur?
The woman told The Post that the online chats started in January 2015 and that they continued through this month.
What do the messages show?
Screen shots published by The Post showed that the two exchanged photos - of the woman in various bikinis and of Mr. Weiner half-dressed, showing off his stomach or his crotch - and that they talked about sex.
In one message, Mr. Weiner abruptly changed the discussion from massage parlors and allegedly wrote, “Someone just climbed into my bed.”
“Really?” the woman said.
Mr. Weiner’s response, in a screen shot dated just July 31, 2015, showed a child curled up next to Mr. Weiner, who was wearing white Jockey shorts, according to the article. Mr. Weiner and Ms. Abedin have a toddler son.
Who is the other woman?
The Post did not identify the woman but described her as a “self-avowed supporter of Donald Trump and the National Rifle Association who’s used Twitter to bash both President Obama and Clinton.”
Mr. Weiner, asked by The Post for comment, “admitted he and the woman ‘have been friends for some time,’ ” according to the article.
Mr. Weiner could not immediately be reached for comment on Monday morning.
Why is this notable?
■ When Mr. Weiner resigned from Congress in 2011, he publicly apologized and vowed to change his behavior, but he denied having an addiction. But in 2013, his attempt at a political comeback as a New York mayoral candidate was derailed when it was revealed he had again been exchanging messages online with at least three more women under the nom de guerre Carlos Danger.
A documentary, “Weiner,” released in May, traced the disastrous campaign and the effects on Ms. Abedin, who is shown near tears after the revelations broke.
■ His wife’s ties to the Clinton campaign makes Mr. Weiner’s posts a useful weapon by the Trump camp in the bruising race to the White House. The first debate between Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Trump is set for Sept. 26.
In his own words
In an interview with The New York Times in July, when asked whether he was still engaging in the activities that got him into trouble, Mr. Weiner said: “I’m not going to go down the path of talking about any of that.
“But I will say this: There’s no doubt that the Trump phenomenon has led a lot of people to say to me, ‘Boy, compared to inviting the Russians to come hack someone’s email, your thing seems almost quaint.’ ”
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Poor Huma.