MIDTOWN — Disgraced former congressman and mayoral candidate Anthony Weiner spent campaign funds for his own personal use, including $1,500 on dry cleaning and cellphone service, according to the New York City Campaign Finance Board, which levied almost $65,000 in fines for the violations.
The 10-count unanimous decision by the board also found that Weiner accepted contributions over the donation limit, spent money post-election that was not related to the campaign, and failed to show that money spent was in furtherance of the campaign during his 2013 run for mayor.
Weiner was also ordered to return $195,377 in matching campaign funds.
The board said that one of the phones Weiner billed the campaign for was acquired during his 2005 campaign and the other was a personal line that he used for fundraising. He was fined $2,308 for the violation.
Weiner also paid the Esler Group, $26,000 more than what was described in their contract and failed to show how the spending was related to the campaign. Another $56,210 was paid to people beyond the amount described in their contracts or to people for whom no duties were listed. One $600 expenditure to a person for buying a television was unexplained. The campaign was fined $22,031 for the violations.
Weiner spent $115,268 after the election on expenditures that were not allowed, including $46,169 to a consultant and payments to web video service Vimeo.
EC2013 Weiner Anthony PM 20161201 by jcm23 on Scribd
The former congressman's 2013 run for mayor represented a political comeback after he was caught sexting in 2011 while a congressman and resigned.
Weiner was leading in the polls during the 2013 elections when more pictures of his sexting activity emerged, derailing his campaign.
In September, Weiner separated from his wife, Hillary Clinton aide Huma Abedin, after a third sexting scandal emerged. Weiner sent a shirtless picture of himself with his son lying next to him to a woman he had been talking to online.
The Administration for Children's Services investigated the picture.
A month later, a 15-year-old girl accused him of carrying on a sexting relationship with her.
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Weiner claimed he was the victim of a hoax but U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara is investigating the claims.
Weiner did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
