Rep. Anthony Weiner admitted "terrible mistakes" and that he sent an image of his groin to a woman online — but said he would not resign.
The New York Democrat said he had had inappropriate exhanges with six women online over the last three years, both before and after he was married, but that he hadn't used government resources.
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Appearing without his wife, he said he had intended to send the underwear shot (left) that began the scandal 10 days ago as a direct message on Twitter as a joke. He said he claimed his account had been hacked when he realized he had accidentally posted it for all to see.
"I am deeply regretting what I have done and I am not resigning," he said. He called his behavior "a very dumb thing to do."
Weiner spoke at a New York news conference after a surprise appearance by conservative blogger Andrew Breitbart, who earlier Monday had released a shirtless picture (below) he said Weiner had sent to another woman. Breitbart, who said he was in New York for a book tour and decided to attend the news conference, took to the podium at reporters' urging to answer a few questions.
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Breitbart said he expected to be vindictated from allegations that he had hacked Weiner's account — and he was. He also said in an interview with Fox News that he had a "beyond vulgar" image of Weiner that he didn't plan to release.
Along with apologizing to his wife, staff, and the women involved, Weiner apologized to Breitbart
and members of the media he misled in a series of interviews last week.
Asked if he had had phone sex with any of the women, Weiner said he was "not going to rebut anything" any of the women said. But he said he had never met any of them in person.
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He also said he did not do drugs and was not drinking at the time of the exchanges. He also said all of the women were adults but conceded he had no way of knowing if they had been "fibbing" about their ages. (The youngest of the women was believed to be 21.)
Weiner said it was up to voters to decide whether to elect him again.