Anthony Weiner: More Photos Emerge Amid Renewed Calls for His Resignation
June 12, 2011— -- Another set of photos featuring New York Rep. Anthony Weiner emerged today after he announced he's taking a leave of absence to seek treatment "to try to get back to normal."
The photos, some explicit, were posted on TMZ early this morning and show Weiner in the House Members Gym, according to the celebrity website.
Weiner is seen taking photos of himself -- both clothed and partially naked -- with his BlackBerry. At least one woman received the photos, TMZ reported.
The new photos come after several top Democrats called for his resignation on Saturday.
ABC News has learned that Nancy Pelosi called Weiner Saturday morning along with another Democratic leader, telling him he needed to resign.
He declined and told them he was going to treatment instead.
After that response, leaders of his party went public with their requests that Weiner step down.
"It is with great disappointment that I call on my colleague, Representative Anthony Weiner to resign. The behavior he has exhibited is indefensible," Democratic National Committee Chairwoman, Debbie Wasserman-Shultz said Saturday.
Wasserman Schultz said top Democratic leaders "have made clear that he needs to resign," she said this morning on "Meet the Press."
But "at the end of the day a member of Congress makes their own decision," she said.
Weiner spoke with reporters on the street near his Queens, N.Y., office Saturday before announcing his decision to take a leave.
"I've made some pretty serious mistakes and I need to redeem myself and I'm working hard to try to get back to normal," Weiner said.
Since Weiner admitted his online interaction with women via social media last week, there have been calls from other Democrats and Republicans for the New York congressman to leave.
But things reached a tipping point Friday after it was reported that police in Delaware were looking into tweets Weiner had exchanged with a 17-year-old girl.
Political analyst John Avlon of the Daily Beast said the digital nature of the scandal makes it impossible for Weiner to stay on.
"Look, digital evidence is the new blue dress," Avlon said, referring to the dress that Monica Lewinsky wore that became critical in the scandal surrounding President Clinton. "This does not go away unless he resigns."
Because he did not immediately come clean about the Twitter photos, Weiner is responsible for his demise, Avlon said.
"By lying to the media, by lying to his colleagues, by lying consistently for a week or more he created an environment where these bomb shells became even more enduring bits of news," he said. "So he made it worse."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
