WASHINGTON — Questions surrounding the ongoing saga of a lewd picture that appeared on Rep. Anthony Weiner’s Twitter feed in recent days are threatening to disrupt the congressman’s bid for New York City mayor in 2013.
In the immediate aftermath of the picture, which depicts a man’s underwear-clad groin, the New York Democrat insisted his account had been hacked. But he has grown more vague — and combative — in recent days, an approach that has stoked suspicion and led some New York Democrats to speculate about the damage he could be doing to his expected mayoral bid in two years.
In an interview Wednesday with NBC’s Luke Russert, Weiner would not comment on whether the image was of him. “I can’t say with certitude,” he said. “My system was hacked. Pictures can be manipulated. Pictures can be dropped in and inserted.”
Weiner did add that he had not sent the picture out and described himself as the “victim of a prank.”
“This is about silliness, and I’m going to brush it off my shoulder,” Weiner added.
Hank Sheinkopf, a New York-based Democratic consultant, said the story wouldn’t just go away. “Sex wakes everyone but the dead,” Sheinkopf said. “This is a major story in New York City. No answered questions (and) no resolution equals more scandal, more sex, and a wounded Weiner.”
