Strike one, strike two: NYC mayoral candidate Anthony Weiner admits to more lewd photos

NEW York City mayoral candidate Anthony Weiner admitted on Tuesday to sending additional explicit photos and texts to a woman he met online

She says the correspondence began months after he resigned from Congress for similar behaviour.

The allegation could severely test voters' willingness to forgive Mr Weiner, who has said he spent the two years since the scandal trying to make things right with his wife and ea redemption.

Mr Weiner, who resigned his House seat in June 2011 after acknowledging having sexual conversations with at least a half-dozen women, has been near the top of most mayoral polls since his late entry into the race this spring.

"I said that other texts and photos were likely to come out and today they have,'' said Mr Weiner in a statement released by his campaign. "I want to again say that I am very sorry to anyone who was on the receiving end of these messages and the disruption this has caused.''

Mr Weiner did not say when the newly revealed exchanges occurred, but he said his behaviour created "challenges in our marriage that extended past my resignation.''

The new lewd correspondence was posted Monday by the gossip website The Dirty. 

The woman, who told the website she was 22 when she began her correspondence with Mr Weiner, said their online relationship lasted for six months and continued into last summer. She claimed Mr Weiner used the alias "Carlos Danger'' for their tawdry exchanges and later asked her to destroy the evidence of their chats.

Revealed: The woman, who goes by the name 'Sydney Leathers' online, is a 22-year-old who describes herself as a progressive liberal

Mr Weiner's wife, Huma Abedin, has played a large - and increasing - role in his mayoral campaign.

Ms Abedin, a longtime adviser to Hillary Rodham Clinton, urged Mr Weiner to run for office, has led his campaign fundraising and recently made her debut on the campaign trail. Two weekends ago, she walked hand-in-hand with Mr Weiner as they talked to voters on a Harlem street.

 

Public profile: The 23-year-old blogger has strong views when it comes to hot political issues... including Anthony Weiner

Standing united: Anthony Weiner had his wife Huma Abedin at his side when he addressed the new revelations of another sexually inappropriate relationship that took place a year after he resigned

"This behaviour is behind me,'' said Mr Weiner in the statement released Tuesday. "I apologised to Huma and am grateful that she has worked through these issues with me and for her forgiveness.''

His problems began on May 28, 2011, when a website run by conservative commentator Andrew Breitbart posted a lewd photograph of an underwear-clad crotch and said it had been sent from Mr Weiner's Twitter account to a Seattle woman.

Mr Weiner denied that he sent the photo, claiming that his Twitter had been hacked.

But after more women came forward and more photographic evidence emerged - some of it X-rated - Mr Weiner admitted that he had lied. Ms Abedin was not at his side when he announced his resignation.

He then entered two years of self-imposed political exile only to retu this spring. Under a huge media spotlight, he apologised repeatedly for his behavior in the initial days of his bid but then pivoted quickly into an issues-based campaign. He was largely well-received by voters and quickly established himself as a favorite in the race.

His main primary rivals did not immediately comment on the new revelations.