ST. PAUL, Minn. — Amid new sexting revelations involving New York mayoral candidate Anthony Weiner, Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison offered a measured assessment Wednesday of the former congressional colleague he had previously endorsed.
Ellison said New Yorkers must decide Weiner's political fate. That's less of a ringing endorsement than in April when Ellison told a television interviewer that he would love to see Weiner as mayor of the nation's largest city. Ellison said at the time he believed Weiner had dealt with sordid personal issues.
The married Weiner admitted Tuesday that he exchanged sexually explicit messages with another woman even after similar behavior destroyed his congressional career two years ago.
"The people of New York will decide if Anthony Weiner is qualified to be mayor of their city," Ellison said Wednesday. "I lent my verbal support to Anthony Weiner based on the work he did for working families while in Congress."
An aide to Ellison said the Democratic congressman hasn't had any role in Weiner's campaign beyond his verbal expression of support during the spring Current TV interview.
