Anthony Weiner could seemingly not get enough of public shame. Weiner was a revered politician expected to scale the ladder to more powerful offices. He’d secured seven terms as a U.S. Representative with commanding victories at the vote. Then, in 2011, he accidentally posted a photo of his crotch on Twitter, forcing him to resign from congress.
Weiner could have recovered from that scandal and looked set to do so when he vied for New York mayor in 2013. Unfortunately, another sexting scandal derailed his campaign. Three years later, Weiner was accused of sexting a 15-year-old girl, which constituted a federal crime. He was sentenced to 21 months in prison for his crimes.
Anthony is looking to sell his digital records as NFTs to gain money
The United States doesn’t offer many employment opportunities to ex-convicts and registered sex offenders. It leaves Weiner with limited income-earning options.
Weiner told Ben Smith of The New York Times that he’s considering selling his infamous digital records as NFTs. He could turn the tweet that sparked his downward spiral into a nonfungible token.
The search warrant for his laptop could also fetch a reasonable price – or the email he received from Jon Stewart apologizing for making fun of Weiner’s scandal. Wiener opines that he could open up a new avenue for political fund-raising:
“Cashing in would be nice – to sell my own stuff but also to create a new category that lets people buy and sell political collectibles as a form of political fund-raising and contributing.”
Anthony spent most of 2020 running IceStone, a company that makes environmentally sustainable countertops. He established a policy offering interviews to formerly imprisoned people. Weiner stepped down as CEO to give the workers more say in the company’s running.
Weiner retains a wealth of political knowledge and is a brilliant strategist who opines that he would do well as a campaign manager. However, no politician would dream of associating with the disgraced former U.S. Representative.
Nevertheless, he told The New York Times that some New York mayoral candidates reached out for advice. “I don’t talk about which ones, because it would hurt them,” he says.
Anthony told the publication that some people advise him to ‘change the narrative,’ but he sees no point in it: his image appears permanently ruined. However, he could contribute positively to society by writing a book about sex addiction.
Weiner and his ex-wife Huma Abedin have committed to co-parenting their son
“He [Anthony] didn’t just break my heart, he ripped it out and stomped on it over and over again,” Huma Abedin told The Guardian.
Huma stood by Anthony’s side as he invented new ways to disgrace himself and his family. She publicly forgave Weiner in 2013, weeks before it emerged that he’d been sexting again. Yet again, Huma stuck with Weiner.
The final straw for Weiner came after The New York Post published a photo of an aroused Anthony lying next to their son, Jordan. She kicked Anthony out of their apartment and publicly announced their separation.
Her religious faith kept her going in these trying times. After Anthony went to prison, Huma analyzed his behavior and saw a man with an illness that needed special attention. She told People:
“I did not see it as a mental illness. But once somebody self-sabotages over and over again, I just don’t believe that’s something somebody does intentionally. I learned from my parents this concept of ‘radical empathy,’ and I’m able to show him empathy now. I think you have to forgive to move on.”
Anthony joined a program for sex addiction for himself and his 9-year-old son. He benefited from help from Abedin, who understood that Jordan needed a father figure in his life. The pair attended therapy, which helped heal some painful wounds. Huma added:
“It was a very difficult process, and it was really about our son. Anthony is always going to be in my life because he is the father of my child. I want to make sure he’s healthy, that we are in a healthy relationship, that our son sees model behavior that is healthy for him.”
Weiner and Abedin live in the same apartment complex but in different houses. Every morning, the pair walk Jordan to school together. Abedin concluded:
“He’s surrounded by both parents. We take him to hockey. We do things together as a family so that my son understands – his parents don’t live together, but he does see us as two equal grownups in his life. He is our focus, to make sure that he is happy and whole.”