Weiner Will Not Resign Over Photo Scandal
The Anthony Weiner photo scandal took yet another strange twist Monday. Despite lewd Twitter photos and "internet affairs" via Facebook, Rep. Anthony Weiner will not resign. Weiner admits that photos sent from his Twitter account, which he originally claimed was hacked, were from him, the politician said at a New York news conference today.
The scandal came to light after a picture of a man's bulging crotch was sent through Weiner's Twitter account. Then, a second woman came forward, claiming that she had received images of a man's shirtless torso through e-mail. To add icing to the cake, another woman claimed to have received over 200 explicit messages from Weiner through her Facebook account, reports Fox News.
Not only that, but Weiner admitted that he had sexually explicit conversations with various other women over the last three years, reports Fox News. He denied ever having a physical relationship with the women, according to USA Today.
Weiner is married to Huma Abedin, an aide to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, reports Fox News.
While Weiner will not resign from his job, in all likelihood this scandal will follow him into the next election and make his campaign very hard. The public - let alone his future Republican opponent - will not forget this Twitter scandal anytime soon.
And, for the rest of the public, Weiner's scandal is a dose in reality. Social media tools like Twitter and Facebook can be great when trying to keep in touch with old friends and family. But rest assured that what you post on the web is viewed by many - and can get you fired.
There's nothing that stops an employer from firing you based on something that you wrote on Facebook or Twitter, especially since in most states' employees are "at will," meaning that their employment can be terminated for any legal reason. And, employees should be aware that while they may be posting gripes - or sexually explicit pictures - on their home computers during their free time, employers can still easily search and find dirt on the web.
So, while Weiner will not resign, in all likelihood the voting public will "fire" him during the next election. And, though Weiner has at last admitted that the photos were his - the damage control might be too little, too late.
Related Resources:
- Rep. Weiner Admits to Sending Lewd Twitter Photo, Acknowledges Other Explicit Conversations (Fox News)
- New half-naked photos: Rep. Weiner calls a news conference (Los Angeles Times)
- Can I Get Fired for Posting on Twitter or Facebook? (FindLaw's Common Law)
- Is Rep. Anthony Weiner's Twitter Hack Criminal? (FindLaw's Blotter)