Anthony Weiner prison release: Ex-Rep Eyes Shorter Prison Time.
Anthony Weiner, a former Democratic congressman and husband of Hillary Clinton’s aide Huma Abedin, has reportedly had his 21-month sentence for sexting a teenager cut by three months, and is due to be released in May.
Radar Online reported on Monday that the projected date for Weiner’s release had been moved from August to May 14, 2019. Weiner, who is currently imprisoned at the Federal Medical Center federal prison in Devens, Massachusetts, may go home earlier due to being a model inmate, the Federal Bureau of Prisons told the publication.
“This projected release date includes credit for good conduct time that may be earned throughout the remainder of his sentence,” the FBP said. An inmate can earn up to 54 days per year off their sentence with good behavior, it explained.
Weiner, once a rising star of the Democratic party, resigned from Congress in 2011 after sexually explicit photos and messages he sent to various women had surfaced. He attempted to reset his political career in 2013 running for mayor of New York. It turned out he hadn’t learned the lesson, though, as new sexting allegations surfaced. It was revealed that Weiner used the alias “Carlos Danger” while sexting a 22-year old woman.
At the height of the 2016 presidential campaign, the US Attorney in New York launched an investigation into Weiner’s sexting with a 15-year-old schoolgirl. The disgraced congressman pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced to 21 months in prison in September 2017. He also had to register as a sex offender.
Abedin filed for divorce from Weiner at the time, but withdrew the case from the court in January.
It was the investigation into Weiner that prompted the FBI to reopen a probe into Clinton’s use of a private email server 11 days before the presidential elections. Some 2,800 work-related emails from Abedin’s account were discovered on Weiner’s laptop, some of which were marked confidential and contained highly sensitive information and briefs on the situation in the Middle East.
While the FBI announced that it found no evidence of wrongdoing on the eve of the vote, Clinton subsequently pinned the blame on former FBI Director James Comey (among other people) for her stunning loss.
The news of Weiner’s premature release has been mocked by conservatives speculating that the disgraced politician may stage another comeback, and may even set his eyes on the highest office.
Donald Trump Jr. suggested that Weiner should team up with Michael Avenatti, the lawyer who shot to prominence for representing former porn star Stormy Daniels.
Daniels claims she had an affair with US President Donald Trump and was paid hush money. Most recently, Avenatti represented Julie Swetnick, one of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh accusers. Swetnick’s allegations that Kavanaugh was present at parties where women were gang-raped have not been corroborated, prompting Democrats to blame Avenatti for undermining their case.
In August, Avenatti himself announced that he was seriously considering running for president in 2020.
There were other suggestions for a potential “the worse the better” Democratic presidential ticket.
