(Editor's Note: Former British M.P. Louise Mensch has received a lot of attention for controversial reporting on Trump, Russia, and the latest Weiner sexting scandal. My last story - which I'm still updating - explores hoax claims, political dirty trick allegations, and sketchy reporting on the allegations that Weiner sexted a teen, and how Hillary Clinton emails with Huma Abedin ended up on Weiner's computer. This article isn't intended as a "conspiracy theory" article, with preconceived notions about how it may conclude. It's, essentially, what I've been reporting on since the first Weinergate story broke in May of 2011. The rest of the media dropped that story, even though the source for the surveillance on Weiner - which included the use of forged documents, emails and Direct Messages by "fake teens" - has never been outed, and I've been falsely persecuted and accused of insane crimes for refusing to drop this investigation. My paypal account is ronbrynaert@yahoo.com, if you can help a journalist who reports fairly on Trump & Clinton, but is persecuted and blacklisted.)
While American Jewish Congress (AJC) chairman Jack Rosen is often referred to as a friend of the Clintons and other Democrats, the real estate tycoon also has a long history with many Republicans, as well.
As Haaretz reported in 2012, "Obama isn’t the first U.S. president Rosen has been friendly with. He was close to his predecessor, George W. Bush, as well. Rosen appreciated Bush’s friendship toward Israel and contributed a reported $100,000 to his 2004 campaign."
Rosen has many friends, including "former Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov, now President Putin’s Chief of Staff," which Haaretz noted.
However, Ivanov was "unexpectedly fired" by Putin, the New York Times reported last August. "Ivanov was the most recent casualty in what seemed to be an orchestrated plan by Mr. Putin, 63, to install a new generation of 'servants' to replace his contemporaries, who might still have had the standing to occasionally question his decisions." But Ivanov is reportedly still a special envoy for transportation and the environment.
Reporting for NBC News on April 18, 2017, Robert Windrem revealed that Ivanov attended a "December 2015 dinner celebrating the 10th birthday of Russian TV network RT," where "President Vladimir Putin and a host of Russian luminaries toasted a state-backed news channel that U.S. intelligence calls a Kremlin mouthpiece."
"And next to Putin at the head table, in the seat of honor, was an American," Windrem writes. "Retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, who would later become Donald Trump's national security adviser, was already advising Trump's presidential campaign when he was paid $45,000 to speak at the gala."
The breaking NBC News report continues, "Sergey Ivanov, then Putin's chief of staff, sat directly across the table from Flynn. A former KGB general who at one point ran KGB operations in Africa, he has also served as Russian defense minister and deputy prime minister. Ivanov had been under U.S. and European sanctions for a year and a half by the date of the dinner."
More from the 2012 Haaretz interview with Weiner's landlord: "Rosen believes Israel should recognize that the United States is not a solo player on the world stage anymore and engage more actively with Russia, China, India and multilateral organizations, especially the UN. He says the same about Jewish communities around the world, noting that they are in a far better position to influence their countries’ leaders. 'They can visit Putin,' he says of the Russian Jewish community, “and they will have much greater impact than we Americans."
"Rosen has partnered with Russian oligarch Mikhail Fridman, who, according to press reports, is investing $1 billion in American real estate through Rosen’s company (and who denies press reports that his Alfa-Bank is dealing with Iran)," the article added.
On October 31, 2016, Eric Lichtblau and Steven Lee Myers reported for The New York Times, "In classified sessions in August and September, intelligence officials also briefed congressional leaders on the possibility of financial ties between Russians and people connected to Mr. Trump. They focused particular attention on what cyberexperts said appeared to be a mysterious computer back channel between the Trump Organization and the Alfa Bank, which is one of Russia’s biggest banks and whose owners have longstanding ties to Mr. Putin."
The story continued: "F.B.I. officials spent weeks examining computer data showing an odd stream of activity to a Trump Organization server and Alfa Bank. Computer logs obtained by The New York Times show that two servers at Alfa Bank sent more than 2,700 “look-up” messages — a first step for one system’s computers to talk to another — to a Trump-connected server beginning in the spring. But the F.B.I. ultimately concluded that there could be an innocuous explanation, like a marketing email or spam, for the computer contacts."
"On May 7, 2012, a new Statement of Organization was filed by Friends of Weiner which changed the committee's email address to Weiner's former campaign finance director Dolev Azaria," I reported five years ago. "The old address for Friends of Weiner was also changed from 1 ASCAN AVENUE #31 FOREST HILLS, NY 11375, as the 2007 Statement of Organization indicated, to 254 PARK AVE SOUTH SUITE 12A NEW YORK, NY 10010."
A few months later, The New York Post reported, "Anthony Weiner’s wife not only took him back, she took him back in style — moving with the shamed pol into a luxurious, $3.3 million Manhattan pad owned by a deep-pocketed Democratic donor, The Post has learned."
"After quitting his Queens House seat amid a notorious sexting scandal, Weiner and beautiful, brainy spouse Huma Abedin, a top aide to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, landed in the sprawling, 12th-floor Park Avenue trophy residence owned by Rosen Partners LLC, which is headed by close Clinton pal Jack Rosen, records show," the Post added.
The Rosen Partners LLC website, refers to cybersecurity as an industry it's involved with, and that the firm "focuses on domestic and international investments where value can be added by leveraging capital, global networks and expert knowledge."
"While the primary focus is real estate, we seek to identify unique opportunities worldwide," it adds.
At Vanity Fair, William D. Cohan reported on January 6, 2016, "Thanks to the generosity of Jack Rosen, a longtime Clinton supporter and New York developer, the couple moved into a sunlit, 12th-floor, 2,120-square-foot, four-bedroom apartment in one of Rosen’s buildings, at 254 Park Avenue South. The monthly rent has been estimated to have been at least $12,000. (In an interview, Rosen says the apartment was made available to the couple in part because of his relationship with the Clintons and they paid a market rental rate.) How Weiner and Abedin could afford the rent had the press wondering, although Weiner had started a consulting firm, Woolf Weiner Associates. The couple reported a combined income of $496,000 for 2012."
On October 9, 2015, Emily Opilo reported, "A security company financially backed by a New York City developer and major Democratic campaign donor was about to get a no-bid contract to assess Allentown's computer systems when the FBI raided City Hall in July, according to city emails recently obtained by The Morning Call through a Right to Know request."
"The company — referred to in emails as Ciiber also known as Five C — is financially backed by Jack Rosen, a top fundraiser for President Barack Obama who has secured more than $880,000 for federal candidates since 1990, according to the Center for Responsive Politics in Washington, D.C. Rosen and his family collectively were among the top donors to Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski's now-suspended U.S. Senate campaign," Opilo added.
Even though, "Rosen, his son Jordan Rosen and Five C are also among the more than two dozen people and businesses listed on an FBI subpoena served at Allentown City Hall on July 2 in a raid tied to a Philadelphia-based grand jury investigation," Opilo noted, "The Rosens have not been accused of any wrongdoing."
"Ciiber, a New York City-based security firm with Israeli principals, was scheduled to assess Allentown's security cameras, police wireless network and vehicle tracking systems the week of July 27-31, the emails stated," the story added.
In a follow-up article published November 13 ,2015, Opilo reported, "The first contract scrapped in the wake of an FBI investigation was on July 16 when Allentown canceled a no-bid contract with Ciiber, formerly Five C, a New York City-based security company with Israeli principals. [City solicitor Susan Ellis] Wild has said that the contract was canceled because Ciiber failed to provide proof of liability insurance to the city."
"Neither the Rosens nor Ciiber have been charged or accused of wrongdoing," Opilo added, again.
At Tech Dirt, Tim Cushing recently wrote, "Late last year, a security researcher noticed what was believed to be an unusual amount of network traffic between Donald Trump's server and a Russian bank. A lot of bad reporting followed -- some it aided by the security researcher's conclusions -- which attempted to tie some spikes in spam to Trump's supposed collusion with the Russians."
While Cushing rejects this as a "whole lot of nothing" (which is related to stories that former British M.P. Louise Mensch has infamously been blogging about since last fall), he adds, "The other party that can't let go of this conspiracy theory is the Russian bank's lawyers. CyberScoop reports Alfa Bank's lawyers have issued legal threats to a security researcher behind the Trump-Russia story."
"In a document obtained by CyberScoop, Alfa Bank notified Indiana University computer researcher L. Jean Camp that it’s pursuing 'all available options' after Camp’s research suggested the bank engaged in some form of communication with the Trump Organization, Washington-based law firm Kirkland & Ellis sent the letter on the bank’s behalf on March 17," CyberScoop noted, as Cushing blogged.
Cushing adds, "Alfa Bank is considering, among other things, using one of our nation's most easily-abused laws to pursue legal action against Camp for 'promoting an unwarranted investigation' into the bank's ties to Donald Trump. The CFAA is cited as one route the bank may take towards making Camp pay for besmirching the reputation of the Russian bank.
DEVELOPING....
Tuesday, April 18, 2017
Friday, April 14, 2017
Sydney Leathers Role 'Orchestrating' 2016 Weiner Sexting Scandal
(5/13/17 update: As I reported, Sydney Leathers told Inside Edition last October, "When I helped the 15-year-old get her story out there, it wasn't something I expected to see with the FBI talking about Hillary's emails again. I didn't think any of that would be intertwined."
Two days ago, award-winning journalist Peter Elkind reported for The New Yorker and ProPublica, that Leathers told him "that the teen-ager wanted to go public, but [she] urged her to call the police instead." He added, "After it became clear that the teen-ager was determined to tell her story, Leathers said she shifted to 'damage control.'"
Elkind's story continues: "'How can I at least make you some money?' she said she asked the teen-ager. 'I basically said, ‘The only way you should do this is if they pay you.’ Certain outlets will pay you to talk, and I had made deals with a lot of them.' Leathers's agent alerted dailymail.com, the online version of a British tabloid with which she’d previously done business. Both Leathers and the girl received a sizable fee; the teen’s father, an attorney, helped negotiate her payment."
Leathers immediately began bashing Elkind on Twitter, before his story was published. She tweeted, "Everyone beware of @peterelkind, the least ethical journalist I've ever encountered. Don't trust him not to run info given off the record."
Yesterday, in a Daily Caller story called "EXCLUSIVE: Ex-Weiner Flame Furious About Lies In Media Reports," Leathers told Betsy Rothstein, "There’s a quote attributed to me that I never said to the girl, none of the stuff about deals with the Daily Mail should’ve been in there, they left out that I had my therapist contact CPS because it didn’t fit their narrative."
"The quote attributed to me about making the teen some money was fake," Leathers argues. "I never said that to her."
Rothstein tweeted about her story, "FAKE NEWS ALERT: Weiner's ex @sydneyelainexo gets screwed over by the media and spills about it." Then, Leathers tweeted,"lol @ @peterelkind, @ProPublica, & @NewYorker for thinking I wouldn't call them out on their shitty, unethical 'journalism.'"
Then, as seen in the following screenshot, Leathers began viciously bashing Elkind on Twitter, calling him "an old cunt" and "a nasty old bastard."
Elkind tweeted, "For the record: There are many falsehoods in your tweets and your claims to @DailyCaller, which I can readily prove, if necessary."
Both Rothstein and Leathers blast the New Yorker over fact-checking, but there are many facts wrong in the Daily Caller story. For instance, Leathers states, "In the past the New Yorker had identified me as a poker player from Vegas (someone from Weiner’s first scandal,) so I should’ve known they wouldn’t get their story right," but that other woman was a blackjack dealer, not a poker player. And I couldn't find any evidence that it ever even happened, unless Leathers mixed up the New Yorker with another media outlet.
Also, Rothstein reports, "In an exclusive interview with The Mirror, Leathers said she had her therapist call Child Protective Services," and adds, "It’s a fact that at least two publications — The New Yorker and ProPublica, which ran identical stories — conveniently left out in their reports on the matter." But that's not an established fact since no one seems to have fact-checked it, it's only hearsay, and Leathers gave that exclusive to the Daily Mail, not The Mirror.
Perhaps performing "damage control" for herself, Leathers also spoke to Page Six, the New York Post gossip column: "It was a pretty awful situation to be placed in the middle of. I felt a lot of pressure to help this kid I don’t even know. I didn’t know what to do other than to contact [child-protective services], and when that failed, I felt pretty helpless."
After bragging that she helped get the teen's story out there, Leathers isn't being very clear, consistent or honest about what exactly she did do, when she allegedly - in her own words - inadvertently helped Trump defeat Clinton. Since Leathers now claims, "in reality, I did all I could to help this kid without getting press involved," and "that was the last thing I wanted."
(5/2/17 update: In an extremely explicit July 2014 Adult DVD Talk interview about her porn work, Sydney Leathers complained that after she tipped off a gossip blog in July of 2013 about her sexting with former Congressman Anthony Weiner - when he was running for Mayor of NYC - that the political website Buzzfeed actually "outed" her and she feared "it would ruin [her] life."
"The owner of the blog actually did protect my anonymity and didn’t tell who I us but it was another website, Buzzfeed, that outed my identity and linked me to Anthony," Leathers said. "In the beginning, I was getting ready to go back to school and, in my mind, I was thinking about school and I didn’t want my name or face associated with it because I thought it would ruin my life. I really didn’t want to be a part of it and I guess I was a little naïve that I could do that anonymously and not be outed."
As noted in the last update, the alleged teen sexter that Sydney Leathers takes credit for "helping to get her story out there," attacked the media for trying to out her in an exclusive interview with Buzzfeed.
On May 28, 2011, Ben Smith shared a byline with Jonathan Allen at Politico to report, "Rep. Anthony Weiner says social networking identity hacking is to blame for the lewd material that a conservative news website reported was sent from his Twitter and yfrog handles to an unidentified woman in Seattle." The article also noted, "Weiner’s office — generally one of the most press friendly around — did not respond to a request for comment on whether he has contacted federal authorities to report the alleged cyber-attack, which could fall under laws prohibiting cyberhacking and impersonating federal officials."
The next day, Ben Smith applauded a statement released by Gennette Nicole Cordova - the "unidentified woman in Seattle" who actually used everything but her last name in the handle Weiner tweeted - for its "comprehensiveness and force that make it quite effective", and lamented that she had been "dragged into a new-media maelstrom." Cordova complained that her "life has been seriously impacted by speculation and faulty allegations," and that her "reputation has been called into question by those who lack the character to report the facts."
Even though Cordova used her name as a byline in the statement published by the New York Daily News, Smith left her name out of his column and referred to her as the "addressee of the lewd tweet from Anthony Weiner's account." Smith also appeared to be suggesting that Weiner could have been hacked, which turned into a mostly partisan debate, at the time, before Weiner even admitted sending the underwear pic to Cordova.
Seven months later, Ben Smith became editor in chief at Buzzfeed, the New York Times reported.)
(4/26/17 update: Buzzfeed's David Mack is reportedly the only other journalist who has met the Gaston County, North Carolina teen who allegedly sexted with former Congressman Anthony Weiner. Among other oddities, the November 2nd, 2016 article doesn't really explain why this exclusive doesn't break the nondisclosure agreement her father told other journalists the family signed with The Daily Mail; why it would possibly matter if FBI agents interviewed the teen before or after Comey's letter; and why she would speak to Mack, instead of whatever other REPORTER she claims called her on October 28th.
Mack doesn't seem to have scored many exclusives in his Buzzfeed reporting, but an article he wrote in August of 2015, takes place in the same county - perhaps, the same town - and also involves a family that didn't want it's name released; "undue" social media attention; hoax claims; photos and video of a tall, skinny girl; plus, the lack of a local police department investigation.
The biggest mystery surrounding this teenage girl and her father still probably remains why Clinton supporters would give their exclusive to the sketchy conservative UK tabloid Daily Mail, in the first place. Especially since Daily Mail reporter Alana Goodman has a long history of anti-Clinton reporting, which includes a hit piece that names 20 "possible victims of a vast Clinton conspiracy", and asks "WHO ELSE IS ON THE CLINTON DEATH LIST?")
(4/17/17 update: On August 30, 2016, I reported for The Daily Caller: "A New York Times article about the latest sexting scandal involving disgraced former Rep. Anthony Weiner was mysteriously scrubbed late Monday night, removing a quote from the city agency that probes suspected child abuse or neglect. Another quote from a NYC professor noting 'investigations rarely are done on the privileged side of town' was also removed."
According to NewsDiffs, on August 29, 2016 at 3:29 PM EDT, the following line was also stricken from the article credited to Amy C. Chozick and Patrick Healy: "Campaign officials had braced for fresh revelations about Mr. Weiner after the Post reported earlier this month that a Republican had baited Mr. Weiner into a sexual online chat."
As noted below, last month, Alana Goodman reported for the Daily Mail: "We were first alerted in early August that Anthony Weiner, whose sexting history was well known, had been sexting which was said to be an unnamed woman. While working on this investigation, the New York Post revealed on August 29 his sexting relationship with a 40-something divorcee. On the day of that revelation, a source disclosed to DailyMail.com that the woman in the relationship DailyMail.com was investigating was a different person to the one revealed by the New York Post."
"On August 30 Huma Abedin announced her separation from Weiner, and that day a source told DailyMail.com the woman we were investigating was in fact an underage girl," Goodman added.)
In three different years, former New York Democratic Congressman Anthony Weiner was hit with reports that he had been sexting younger women, while married to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's longtime aide, Huma Abedin. Even before he accidentally publicly sent his infamous underwear tweet to a Seattle student in May of 2011, Breitbart News had already been alerted by a still unknown source that Weiner was sexting. The story behind how these related events were reported, and or leaked, has a few twists and turns, and may prove to be bumpy for some of its travelers, depending on exactly what federal agents are looking at in multiple probes.
"But no one could have guessed that Sydney Leathers and Anthony Weiner would come back to haunt the 2016 presidential election," former award-winning adult film actress Aurora Snow reported for the Daily Beast on November 19, 2016. That was three years after Leathers - like every single other sexter or female in the spotlight after Weinergate - had bizarre dealings with the media, and the strange way that the FBI has handled events since then.
(Editor's Note: I certainly did predict Anthony Weiner would haunt the 2016 presidential election, and I've been probing hackers, feds, security firms, sketchy journos, fake news, Russia propaganda, WikiLeaks, Trump, Clintons and related political dirty tricks since June of 2011, when I first started getting harassed reporting on Weinergate. The original name for this blog was "Hackers and Fake News", when I launched it in July of 2011.)
Snow added, "Leathers played a pivotal role in orchestrating the shocking Daily Mail story back in September revealing how Weiner had been sexting a 15-year-old girl—a development that put the ex-politician under federal investigation and reopened the FBI inquiry into Hillary Clinton’s emails."
Last September, The NY Daily News reported the teen's father claimed that a "nondisclosure agreement [had been] reached by the family with the Daily Mail," however, it's unknown if this included a payment of some sort. The Daily Mail's Goodman has ignored multiple requests on Twitter regarding whether or not Sydney Leathers was paid for her role in "orchestrating" the scandal, which many believe may have cost Hillary Clinton some votes in the 2016 presidential election.
When asked if Leathers was paid for Snow's Daily Beast story, Aurora told me on Twitter, "worry not, in that regard she's pure 😉 there was no payment for the interview."
(4/17 Editor's Note: This article is far from finished, and the following twenty tweets that I made on April 6th at my @RonBryn twitter account will be transformed into a more readable story, as I add more updates.)
01. 7/26/16 Anthony Weiner's odd DNC exclusive: "You don't think I care about Fox 5, here's what I got for you..."
02. 7/26/16 Weiner brags he'd come out of "retirement" & beat @DonaldJTrumpJr like 'rented mule' in a NYC mayor race
Anthony Weiner and Trumps take swipes at each other
03. Without trying to inject opinion, I don't think anyone - including Weiner - realistically thinks he'd be able to run for NYC mayor again.
04. 7/26/16: @realDonaldTrump & @DonaldJTrumpJr mock Weiner who used DNC to promote himself with far-fetched scenario
Anthony Weiner and Trumps take swipes at each other
05. 8/1/16: Alleged Clinton supporter Sydney Leathers calls Weiner "delusional narcissist" in Daily Mail exclusive
EXCLUSIVE: 'He's a delusional narcissist and the only job he's qualified for is dog catcher!' Anthony Weiner's sexting partner Sydney Leathers lashes out at Huma's husband after he teases a NYC mayoral run
06. 8/11/16 Sydney Leathers falsely claims Weiner admitted he had at least 6 sexting partners including 1 that was 17
Two Thumbs Down on Weiner Doc
07. Delaware police cleared Weiner in 2011, who exchanged 5 DMs but didn't sext 17-year-old; Patterico posted hacked DMs to smear him, however (Editor's Note: I wrongly tweeted Vermont, instead of Delaware)
08. 8/11/16 Sydney Leathers claims a "woman" who was currently sexting Weiner recently reached out to her for advice.
Two Thumbs Down on Weiner Doc
09. 8/11/16 Alana Goodman @DailyMail jumps on Leathers "Weiner" review to note claim "STILL talking to cyber hookups"
'I am certain his behavior continues to this day': Anthony Weiner's sexting partner Sydney Leathers claims the disgraced politician is STILL talking to cyber hookups
10. 8/13/16 NY Post reports Weiner was catfished by "dude". He uses same exact "Nikki" that fake teen used in 2011.
Anthony Weiner caught in new flirty online chat
11. 8/28/16 NY Post reports, "Anthony Weiner sexted busty brunette while his son was in bed with him"
Anthony Weiner sexted busty brunette while his son was in bed with him
12. 3/21/17 Bashing @LouiseMensch. Alana Goodman reports, "We were 1st alerted in early August" Weiner sexting woman
EXCLUSIVE: Serious questions over credibility of former UK lawmaker who sparked claim that Obama spied on Trump after her latest conspiracy theory is revealed as a 'farrago of fantasy and nonsense'
13. 8/29/16 Source allegedly tells Daily Mail that woman it's probing is a different person than revealed by NY Post
EXCLUSIVE: Serious questions over credibility of former UK lawmaker who sparked claim that Obama spied on Trump after her latest conspiracy theory is revealed as a 'farrago of fantasy and nonsense'
14. 8/30/16 Abedin dumps Weiner. Daily Mail source allegedly says woman it's probing is "in fact an underage girl"
EXCLUSIVE: Serious questions over credibility of former UK lawmaker who sparked claim that Obama spied on Trump after her latest conspiracy theory is revealed as a 'farrago of fantasy and nonsense'
15. 9/1/16 Daily Mail conducts an on-camera interview with father and 15-year-old in hotel...before fact checking
EXCLUSIVE: Serious questions over credibility of former UK lawmaker who sparked claim that Obama spied on Trump after her latest conspiracy theory is revealed as a 'farrago of fantasy and nonsense'
16. 9/21/16 Alana Goodman breaks sensational exclusive & refers to teen as a "troubled 15-year-old girl" in headline
EXCLUSIVE: Anthony Weiner carried on a months-long online sexual relationship with a troubled 15-year-old girl telling her she made him 'hard,' asking her to dress up in 'school-girl' outfits and pressing her to engage in 'rape fantasies'
17. 9/22/16 Teen's father refers to Weiner as "monster" in Alana Goodman exclusive after Weiner claims he got hoaxed
EXCLUSIVE: 'He's a monster!' Father of 15-year-old who had an online sexting relationship with Anthony Weiner outraged after disgraced congressman discloses his daughter's identity to the media
18. 9/23/16 Alana Goodman exclusive: Leathers claims 15-year-old reached out over Facebook in May to ask for advice
EXCLUSIVE: 'There is no line for him' - Anthony Weiner's former sexting partner Sydney Leathers calls the ex-congressman 'predatory' after his explicit messages to 15-year-old girl are revealed
19. 11/19/16: @MissAuroraSnow @DailyBeast: "Leathers played pivotal role orchestrating shocking Daily Mail story"
Porn Star Sydney Leathers Opens Up: ‘I’m Sorry’ for Helping Elect Donald Trump
20. 3/16/17: After I ask questions on Twitter, Sydney Leathers suggests she only talks to reporters if she gets paid
Sydney Leathers @sydneyelainexo: I feel the same way about reporters as I do findom subs: if you're not paying me I'm not going to talk to you 🙃
Two days ago, award-winning journalist Peter Elkind reported for The New Yorker and ProPublica, that Leathers told him "that the teen-ager wanted to go public, but [she] urged her to call the police instead." He added, "After it became clear that the teen-ager was determined to tell her story, Leathers said she shifted to 'damage control.'"
Elkind's story continues: "'How can I at least make you some money?' she said she asked the teen-ager. 'I basically said, ‘The only way you should do this is if they pay you.’ Certain outlets will pay you to talk, and I had made deals with a lot of them.' Leathers's agent alerted dailymail.com, the online version of a British tabloid with which she’d previously done business. Both Leathers and the girl received a sizable fee; the teen’s father, an attorney, helped negotiate her payment."
Leathers immediately began bashing Elkind on Twitter, before his story was published. She tweeted, "Everyone beware of @peterelkind, the least ethical journalist I've ever encountered. Don't trust him not to run info given off the record."
Yesterday, in a Daily Caller story called "EXCLUSIVE: Ex-Weiner Flame Furious About Lies In Media Reports," Leathers told Betsy Rothstein, "There’s a quote attributed to me that I never said to the girl, none of the stuff about deals with the Daily Mail should’ve been in there, they left out that I had my therapist contact CPS because it didn’t fit their narrative."
"The quote attributed to me about making the teen some money was fake," Leathers argues. "I never said that to her."
Rothstein tweeted about her story, "FAKE NEWS ALERT: Weiner's ex @sydneyelainexo gets screwed over by the media and spills about it." Then, Leathers tweeted,"lol @ @peterelkind, @ProPublica, & @NewYorker for thinking I wouldn't call them out on their shitty, unethical 'journalism.'"
Then, as seen in the following screenshot, Leathers began viciously bashing Elkind on Twitter, calling him "an old cunt" and "a nasty old bastard."
Elkind tweeted, "For the record: There are many falsehoods in your tweets and your claims to @DailyCaller, which I can readily prove, if necessary."
Both Rothstein and Leathers blast the New Yorker over fact-checking, but there are many facts wrong in the Daily Caller story. For instance, Leathers states, "In the past the New Yorker had identified me as a poker player from Vegas (someone from Weiner’s first scandal,) so I should’ve known they wouldn’t get their story right," but that other woman was a blackjack dealer, not a poker player. And I couldn't find any evidence that it ever even happened, unless Leathers mixed up the New Yorker with another media outlet.
Also, Rothstein reports, "In an exclusive interview with The Mirror, Leathers said she had her therapist call Child Protective Services," and adds, "It’s a fact that at least two publications — The New Yorker and ProPublica, which ran identical stories — conveniently left out in their reports on the matter." But that's not an established fact since no one seems to have fact-checked it, it's only hearsay, and Leathers gave that exclusive to the Daily Mail, not The Mirror.
Perhaps performing "damage control" for herself, Leathers also spoke to Page Six, the New York Post gossip column: "It was a pretty awful situation to be placed in the middle of. I felt a lot of pressure to help this kid I don’t even know. I didn’t know what to do other than to contact [child-protective services], and when that failed, I felt pretty helpless."
After bragging that she helped get the teen's story out there, Leathers isn't being very clear, consistent or honest about what exactly she did do, when she allegedly - in her own words - inadvertently helped Trump defeat Clinton. Since Leathers now claims, "in reality, I did all I could to help this kid without getting press involved," and "that was the last thing I wanted."
(5/2/17 update: In an extremely explicit July 2014 Adult DVD Talk interview about her porn work, Sydney Leathers complained that after she tipped off a gossip blog in July of 2013 about her sexting with former Congressman Anthony Weiner - when he was running for Mayor of NYC - that the political website Buzzfeed actually "outed" her and she feared "it would ruin [her] life."
"The owner of the blog actually did protect my anonymity and didn’t tell who I us but it was another website, Buzzfeed, that outed my identity and linked me to Anthony," Leathers said. "In the beginning, I was getting ready to go back to school and, in my mind, I was thinking about school and I didn’t want my name or face associated with it because I thought it would ruin my life. I really didn’t want to be a part of it and I guess I was a little naïve that I could do that anonymously and not be outed."
As noted in the last update, the alleged teen sexter that Sydney Leathers takes credit for "helping to get her story out there," attacked the media for trying to out her in an exclusive interview with Buzzfeed.
On May 28, 2011, Ben Smith shared a byline with Jonathan Allen at Politico to report, "Rep. Anthony Weiner says social networking identity hacking is to blame for the lewd material that a conservative news website reported was sent from his Twitter and yfrog handles to an unidentified woman in Seattle." The article also noted, "Weiner’s office — generally one of the most press friendly around — did not respond to a request for comment on whether he has contacted federal authorities to report the alleged cyber-attack, which could fall under laws prohibiting cyberhacking and impersonating federal officials."
The next day, Ben Smith applauded a statement released by Gennette Nicole Cordova - the "unidentified woman in Seattle" who actually used everything but her last name in the handle Weiner tweeted - for its "comprehensiveness and force that make it quite effective", and lamented that she had been "dragged into a new-media maelstrom." Cordova complained that her "life has been seriously impacted by speculation and faulty allegations," and that her "reputation has been called into question by those who lack the character to report the facts."
Even though Cordova used her name as a byline in the statement published by the New York Daily News, Smith left her name out of his column and referred to her as the "addressee of the lewd tweet from Anthony Weiner's account." Smith also appeared to be suggesting that Weiner could have been hacked, which turned into a mostly partisan debate, at the time, before Weiner even admitted sending the underwear pic to Cordova.
Seven months later, Ben Smith became editor in chief at Buzzfeed, the New York Times reported.)
(4/26/17 update: Buzzfeed's David Mack is reportedly the only other journalist who has met the Gaston County, North Carolina teen who allegedly sexted with former Congressman Anthony Weiner. Among other oddities, the November 2nd, 2016 article doesn't really explain why this exclusive doesn't break the nondisclosure agreement her father told other journalists the family signed with The Daily Mail; why it would possibly matter if FBI agents interviewed the teen before or after Comey's letter; and why she would speak to Mack, instead of whatever other REPORTER she claims called her on October 28th.
Mack doesn't seem to have scored many exclusives in his Buzzfeed reporting, but an article he wrote in August of 2015, takes place in the same county - perhaps, the same town - and also involves a family that didn't want it's name released; "undue" social media attention; hoax claims; photos and video of a tall, skinny girl; plus, the lack of a local police department investigation.
The biggest mystery surrounding this teenage girl and her father still probably remains why Clinton supporters would give their exclusive to the sketchy conservative UK tabloid Daily Mail, in the first place. Especially since Daily Mail reporter Alana Goodman has a long history of anti-Clinton reporting, which includes a hit piece that names 20 "possible victims of a vast Clinton conspiracy", and asks "WHO ELSE IS ON THE CLINTON DEATH LIST?")
(4/17/17 update: On August 30, 2016, I reported for The Daily Caller: "A New York Times article about the latest sexting scandal involving disgraced former Rep. Anthony Weiner was mysteriously scrubbed late Monday night, removing a quote from the city agency that probes suspected child abuse or neglect. Another quote from a NYC professor noting 'investigations rarely are done on the privileged side of town' was also removed."
According to NewsDiffs, on August 29, 2016 at 3:29 PM EDT, the following line was also stricken from the article credited to Amy C. Chozick and Patrick Healy: "Campaign officials had braced for fresh revelations about Mr. Weiner after the Post reported earlier this month that a Republican had baited Mr. Weiner into a sexual online chat."
As noted below, last month, Alana Goodman reported for the Daily Mail: "We were first alerted in early August that Anthony Weiner, whose sexting history was well known, had been sexting which was said to be an unnamed woman. While working on this investigation, the New York Post revealed on August 29 his sexting relationship with a 40-something divorcee. On the day of that revelation, a source disclosed to DailyMail.com that the woman in the relationship DailyMail.com was investigating was a different person to the one revealed by the New York Post."
"On August 30 Huma Abedin announced her separation from Weiner, and that day a source told DailyMail.com the woman we were investigating was in fact an underage girl," Goodman added.)
In three different years, former New York Democratic Congressman Anthony Weiner was hit with reports that he had been sexting younger women, while married to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's longtime aide, Huma Abedin. Even before he accidentally publicly sent his infamous underwear tweet to a Seattle student in May of 2011, Breitbart News had already been alerted by a still unknown source that Weiner was sexting. The story behind how these related events were reported, and or leaked, has a few twists and turns, and may prove to be bumpy for some of its travelers, depending on exactly what federal agents are looking at in multiple probes.
"But no one could have guessed that Sydney Leathers and Anthony Weiner would come back to haunt the 2016 presidential election," former award-winning adult film actress Aurora Snow reported for the Daily Beast on November 19, 2016. That was three years after Leathers - like every single other sexter or female in the spotlight after Weinergate - had bizarre dealings with the media, and the strange way that the FBI has handled events since then.
(Editor's Note: I certainly did predict Anthony Weiner would haunt the 2016 presidential election, and I've been probing hackers, feds, security firms, sketchy journos, fake news, Russia propaganda, WikiLeaks, Trump, Clintons and related political dirty tricks since June of 2011, when I first started getting harassed reporting on Weinergate. The original name for this blog was "Hackers and Fake News", when I launched it in July of 2011.)
Snow added, "Leathers played a pivotal role in orchestrating the shocking Daily Mail story back in September revealing how Weiner had been sexting a 15-year-old girl—a development that put the ex-politician under federal investigation and reopened the FBI inquiry into Hillary Clinton’s emails."
Last September, The NY Daily News reported the teen's father claimed that a "nondisclosure agreement [had been] reached by the family with the Daily Mail," however, it's unknown if this included a payment of some sort. The Daily Mail's Goodman has ignored multiple requests on Twitter regarding whether or not Sydney Leathers was paid for her role in "orchestrating" the scandal, which many believe may have cost Hillary Clinton some votes in the 2016 presidential election.
When asked if Leathers was paid for Snow's Daily Beast story, Aurora told me on Twitter, "worry not, in that regard she's pure 😉 there was no payment for the interview."
(4/17 Editor's Note: This article is far from finished, and the following twenty tweets that I made on April 6th at my @RonBryn twitter account will be transformed into a more readable story, as I add more updates.)
01. 7/26/16 Anthony Weiner's odd DNC exclusive: "You don't think I care about Fox 5, here's what I got for you..."
02. 7/26/16 Weiner brags he'd come out of "retirement" & beat @DonaldJTrumpJr like 'rented mule' in a NYC mayor race
Anthony Weiner and Trumps take swipes at each other
03. Without trying to inject opinion, I don't think anyone - including Weiner - realistically thinks he'd be able to run for NYC mayor again.
04. 7/26/16: @realDonaldTrump & @DonaldJTrumpJr mock Weiner who used DNC to promote himself with far-fetched scenario
Anthony Weiner and Trumps take swipes at each other
05. 8/1/16: Alleged Clinton supporter Sydney Leathers calls Weiner "delusional narcissist" in Daily Mail exclusive
EXCLUSIVE: 'He's a delusional narcissist and the only job he's qualified for is dog catcher!' Anthony Weiner's sexting partner Sydney Leathers lashes out at Huma's husband after he teases a NYC mayoral run
06. 8/11/16 Sydney Leathers falsely claims Weiner admitted he had at least 6 sexting partners including 1 that was 17
Two Thumbs Down on Weiner Doc
07. Delaware police cleared Weiner in 2011, who exchanged 5 DMs but didn't sext 17-year-old; Patterico posted hacked DMs to smear him, however (Editor's Note: I wrongly tweeted Vermont, instead of Delaware)
08. 8/11/16 Sydney Leathers claims a "woman" who was currently sexting Weiner recently reached out to her for advice.
Two Thumbs Down on Weiner Doc
09. 8/11/16 Alana Goodman @DailyMail jumps on Leathers "Weiner" review to note claim "STILL talking to cyber hookups"
'I am certain his behavior continues to this day': Anthony Weiner's sexting partner Sydney Leathers claims the disgraced politician is STILL talking to cyber hookups
10. 8/13/16 NY Post reports Weiner was catfished by "dude". He uses same exact "Nikki" that fake teen used in 2011.
Anthony Weiner caught in new flirty online chat
11. 8/28/16 NY Post reports, "Anthony Weiner sexted busty brunette while his son was in bed with him"
Anthony Weiner sexted busty brunette while his son was in bed with him
12. 3/21/17 Bashing @LouiseMensch. Alana Goodman reports, "We were 1st alerted in early August" Weiner sexting woman
EXCLUSIVE: Serious questions over credibility of former UK lawmaker who sparked claim that Obama spied on Trump after her latest conspiracy theory is revealed as a 'farrago of fantasy and nonsense'
13. 8/29/16 Source allegedly tells Daily Mail that woman it's probing is a different person than revealed by NY Post
EXCLUSIVE: Serious questions over credibility of former UK lawmaker who sparked claim that Obama spied on Trump after her latest conspiracy theory is revealed as a 'farrago of fantasy and nonsense'
14. 8/30/16 Abedin dumps Weiner. Daily Mail source allegedly says woman it's probing is "in fact an underage girl"
EXCLUSIVE: Serious questions over credibility of former UK lawmaker who sparked claim that Obama spied on Trump after her latest conspiracy theory is revealed as a 'farrago of fantasy and nonsense'
15. 9/1/16 Daily Mail conducts an on-camera interview with father and 15-year-old in hotel...before fact checking
EXCLUSIVE: Serious questions over credibility of former UK lawmaker who sparked claim that Obama spied on Trump after her latest conspiracy theory is revealed as a 'farrago of fantasy and nonsense'
16. 9/21/16 Alana Goodman breaks sensational exclusive & refers to teen as a "troubled 15-year-old girl" in headline
EXCLUSIVE: Anthony Weiner carried on a months-long online sexual relationship with a troubled 15-year-old girl telling her she made him 'hard,' asking her to dress up in 'school-girl' outfits and pressing her to engage in 'rape fantasies'
17. 9/22/16 Teen's father refers to Weiner as "monster" in Alana Goodman exclusive after Weiner claims he got hoaxed
EXCLUSIVE: 'He's a monster!' Father of 15-year-old who had an online sexting relationship with Anthony Weiner outraged after disgraced congressman discloses his daughter's identity to the media
18. 9/23/16 Alana Goodman exclusive: Leathers claims 15-year-old reached out over Facebook in May to ask for advice
EXCLUSIVE: 'There is no line for him' - Anthony Weiner's former sexting partner Sydney Leathers calls the ex-congressman 'predatory' after his explicit messages to 15-year-old girl are revealed
19. 11/19/16: @MissAuroraSnow @DailyBeast: "Leathers played pivotal role orchestrating shocking Daily Mail story"
Porn Star Sydney Leathers Opens Up: ‘I’m Sorry’ for Helping Elect Donald Trump
20. 3/16/17: After I ask questions on Twitter, Sydney Leathers suggests she only talks to reporters if she gets paid
Sydney Leathers @sydneyelainexo: I feel the same way about reporters as I do findom subs: if you're not paying me I'm not going to talk to you 🙃
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