Lawyers for Anthony Weiner, the former congressman whose lewd text exchanges with a teenage girl led to his prosecution and embroiled him in an FBI investigation of Hillary Clinton before the presidential election, have asked a judge to spare him a prison sentence, the New York Times reports. In asking that Weiner receive probation, his lawyers described his behavior as “inexcusable,” but cited his “remarkable progress” over the past year. Weiner, 53, writing separately to the judge, cited his “profound” regret for endangering the well-being of the girl, whom he understood to be 15.
He added, “My continued acting out over years crushed the aspirations of my wife and ruined our marriage.” He said his young son “will forever have to answer questions about the public and private failings of his father.” Weiner is to be sentenced on Sept. 25 by U.S. District Judge Denise Cote on one count of transferring obscene material to a minor. He pleaded guilty in May; the charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years. The office of Joon Kim, the acting U.S. Attorney, said in Weiner’s plea agreement that a prison sentence in the range of 21 to 27 months would be “fair and appropriate.” The memo submitted by Weiner’s lawyers offers a deeply personal look at the history of his behavior and his political and personal downfall. Weiner resigned from Congress in June 2011, not long after an explicit picture surfaced from his Twitter account.