House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., on Saturday called on Rep. Anthony Weiner to resign, signaling that Democratic leaders believe the embattled New York lawmaker’s torrid Twitter scandal is dragging down the party. A defiant Weiner, however, insisted that he needed only a temporary leave from Congress to seek rehabilitative treatment.
“Congressman Weiner has the love of his family, the confidence of his constituents, and the recognition that he needs help,” Pelosi said in a statement. “I urge Congressman Weiner to seek that help without the pressures of being a member of Congress.”
In addition to Pelosi, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida the chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee, and Rep. Steve Israel, head of the House Democratic campaign committee, also called on Weiner to resign.
“The behavior he has exhibited is indefensible and Representative Weiner’s continued service in Congress is untenable,” Wasserman Schultz said. “This sordid affair has become an unacceptable distraction for Representative Weiner, his family, his constituents and the House. And for the good of all, he should step aside and address those things that should be most important — his and his family’s well-being.”
Israel, a fellow New York Democrat, said Weiner’s problems have “become an insurmountable distraction to the House and our work for the American people.”
Weiner announced Saturday he is “seeking professional treatment to focus on a becoming a better husband and a healthier person.” He said he is requesting “a short leave of absence” from the House.
The seven-term lawmaker admitted last week that he sent explicit photos and text messages to a half-dozen women who followed him on Twitter and Facebook.
Weiner’s troubles were compounded Friday when Delaware police visited the home of a 17-year-old girl who had received messages from Weiner on Twitter. Police ended their investigation Saturday after uncovering no evidence of a crime. Weiner said there was nothing inappropriate in the messages sent to the high school junior.
Democratic aides said party officials have for days been pressing Weiner privately to resign following a week of on-going media revelations about the congressman’s trail of explicit text messages and photos, but he refused.
With the House set to return Monday and the Sunday television news shows ready to set off a new round of debate about the Weiner scandal, it “all equaled the ultimate decision for the leaders to go today,” and ask publicly for his resignation, a top Democratic aide told The Washington Examiner.
Weiner hired a crisis manager and this week vowed to remain in office. Those close to him have said Weiner is determined not to resign and that his pregnant wife of 11 months, Huma Abedin, a top aide to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, wants to remain in the marriage.
Pelosi and Wasserman Schultz join a growing list of Democrats and Republicans who have called on Weiner to step down.
The scandal broke when Weiner inadvertently sent on Twitter a photograph of his underwear-clad crotch that was intended for one of his female Twitter followers but was accidentally sent to many others. Weiner at first claimed his computer account was hacked, but he later admitted to the history of “inappropriate” contact with women on social media sites.
