Breaking : The Hill Report: Girl in Weiner sexting case lied to damage Clinton

[sunonmars]

http://thehill.com/homenews/news/334511-report-girl-in-weiner-sexting-case-lied-to-damage-clinton?rnd=1495456865

The teenage girl who had exchanged inappropriate text messages with former Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.) lied about her age and political motivations to harm Hillary Clinton, according to a report by WhoWhatWhy.

The girl was not under the age of 15, as the initial reports said, but nearly 17 when she first reached out to Weiner, the report said. She and her family were also not Clinton supporters, as the girl claimed in a letter published by BuzzFeed, according to social media posts unearthed by the website.

“Seeing that Weiner is both a repeat offender — his sexting addiction cost him his job in Congress as well as a shot at becoming mayor of New York — and associated with one of the most important people in Clinton’s inner circle, it is conceivable that this was a set-up from the beginning, with the objective of embarrassing the Clinton campaign,” the report reads.

The Daily Mail initially broke the story in September 2016, which ultimately led the FBI to obtain Weiner’s laptop and discover emails from Clinton’s private server. Weiner is married to longtime Clinton aide Huma Abedin, who reportedly filed for divorce from Weiner last week.
Former FBI Director James Comey in late October announced the discovery a emails potentially relevant to the bureau’s investigation into Clinton’s server. While Comey several days later said he would not alter his previous recommendation that no charges be brought against Clinton, she has cited Comey’s initial letter to Congress as one for the contributing factors to her loss to Donald Trump.

The report also added that Chuck Johnson, a conservative writer, was one of the individuals who connected the girl to The Daily Mail.

“It’s not yet clear whether the motive was primarily money, a plot to smear Clinton, or both,” the report notes.

......................

A WhoWhatWhy investigation has uncovered numerous substantive falsehoods and mischaracterizations — raising doubts about a case that changed the 2016 election and American history:

• The girl was presented in news accounts — and Weiner’s plea deal — as being 15 at the time, that is, under the age of consent in her state. She was not.

• Weiner’s victim and her family were not, as represented, Clinton fans — they actually were strong Trump enthusiasts. Her story was trusted in part because she was characterized as having no axe to grind with Clinton or the Democrats.

• Weiner’s “sexting” partner was not simply a victim. Contrary to tabloid accounts, she initiated the contact with Weiner. And she went out of her way to seek advice from a GOP-associated figure behind prior efforts to harm Weiner and other Democrats.

To be clear, what Weiner did was morally indefensible. None of the evidence we provide is meant to excuse his behavior. But it is impossible to overstate the significance of the lies his teen sexting partner told in ensuring the story became a national sensation. The big question that remains is why.

[spanone]

1. K&R...

[superpatriotman]

2. Well,

It worked.

[get the red out]

3. Damn!

Interesting to see if there is any corroboration of this.

[sunonmars]

4. Maybe Mensch is right and this whole thing was a set up sting.

[triron]

23. yep

[sarah FAILIN]

39. ...nah..

You know Mensch is a kook.. conspiracy theorist extraordinaire and all that.. jk but you will find it hard to post anything from her w end if it is proven true without people here exploding

IMO, she's right more often than not.

[GliderGuider]

64. Yep - to give NY FBI probable cause to seize Weiner's laptop.

"Well I never!!! Would you look at this??? All these emails from Hillary - what on earth are they doing here? Someone get Jim Comey down here stat! He's going to rue this day. It's all working just like (****) said it would."

I have no idea who (****) was, but I have no doubt it was a sting to force Comey to send the email that Chaffetz altered and released..

[Volaris]

92. If prior speculations are to be believed, those emails were planted on his laptop

by Russian Intelligence (iirc).

[GliderGuider]

93. Yes, that's the story. nt

[ucrdem]

66. The May 22 WhoWhatWhy article has no connection to Mensch. The editor is Russ Baker

author of "Family of Secrets: The Bush Dynasty," and the authors are Matthew Harvey, Michael Dwyer, Jonathan Z. Larsen and Baker:

https://whowhatwhy.org/2017/05/22/exclusive-weiners-underage-sexting-girl-lied-damage-clinton/

[dalton99a]

5. Kick.

[sunonmars]

6. Would anyone be surprised if it was a setup to conveniently "look" at his computer.....

and some planted email shit.

[octoberlib]

7. It set everything up for the Comey letter.

I smell Roger Stone on this one. He took down Spitzer with underhanded shit like this.

[jmg257]

8. Wow - and Weiner just pleaded guilty to transferring obscene material to a minor on Friday

"New York (CNN)Former Rep. Anthony Weiner pleaded guilty Friday to transferring obscene material to a minor and will register as a sex offender.

Today, former Congressman Anthony Weiner admitted and pled guilty to sending sexually explicit images and directions to engage in sexual conduct to a girl he knew to be 15 years old," acting US Attorney Joon H. Kim of the Southern District of New York said in a statement. "Weiner's conduct was not only reprehensible, but a federal crime, one for which he is now convicted and will be sentenced."
Weiner, 52, was released on bail pending sentencing, which is scheduled for September 8, the release said. The government recommended between 21 and 27 months imprisonment, which Weiner's counsel agreed to, though ultimately it is up to a judge to decide."

Wonder how this story will affect all that.

[Ilsa]

16. "...he knew to be 15 years old," even though she wasn't...

If this wasn't a sting set up by law enforcement, then why should it be part of the consideration by the court?

[FBaggins]

17. I think the key is "who he knew to be 15 years old"

I doubt that his actions would be legal even if she is old enough to consent if she told him that she was 15 and he believed her.

[forgotmylogin]

40. Right.

The moment she said the number 15 he should have been a responsible adult and stopped any further communication.

[karynnj]

68. Almost 17, usually known as 16 is not much older than 15

Still a minor. He is still a slease.

[DrDan]

72. that's the way I see it

[7962]

95. Yes, i noticed that as well. Surprised they didnt say "not much younger than 18" nt

[rpannier]

79. None

If I buy a bag of flour thinking it was cocaine and I get arrested, it's still a crime because I was engaging in what I thought was an illegal act.

[Botany]

9. It was all a big set up ..... the right wing trolled Weiner in order to hurt HRC

And the emails in question that wound up on Weiner's lap top might have
very well been planted by the Russians.

[stevenleser]

10. Wow, there is no end to the dirty tricks the GOP will pull.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

11. Those are facts. Meantime RW & Fox & Gingrich on & on about faux conspiracy Seth Rich theories. nt

[american_ideals]

12. WARNING. WhoWhatWhy connected to Russia

The Hill is trustworthy.
But they appear to repeat a report from another site. The other site's internet (whois) reg info links them to Russians.


So hold off on 100% believing this till more widely confirmed.


That said, if true this would be huge.
Even if NOT true and there was no setup, the FBI in NY could still have used leaks about this Wiener case strategically as a means to damage Hillary.

[FBaggins]

15. That MUST be true...

... because Weiner wasn't even sexting with a real girl. It was a false persona that the Russians set up.

Or so Louise Mensch tells me.

[SticksnStones]

13. Do a Whois on WhoWhatWhy.org

And be cautious I say...


Although while I loathe to blame the victim...and to be clear, I don't blame her but I sure don't understand her. I still don't understand why a 15 yr old is reaching out to contact a disgraced Congressman. He's absolutely deserves his punishment because he engaged with her in wholly inappropriate and illegal manner. The blame is solely on him.

But what was she thinking? I sure like to understand why she'd text a known creep? It's just odd...

[DallasNE]

41. If One Part Of This Doesn't Pan Out

Then none of it can be trusted, including who reached out to who. We need a second, independent source to report on this. I'm guessing that she really was 15 rather than 16 as claimed here because Weiner's lawyers surely would not have gone with a plea of knowing he was sexting with someone he knew was 15 if they had not verified her age.

I would rather go after Comey and his false characterization on October 28th on what the FBI had uncovered. Comey had no new email on Weiner's laptop. By October 29th I was posting that what was on Weiner's laptop was a backup file of email from Clinton's server. The FBI already had Clinton's server. What Comey was really looking for was email that Clinton had deleted after this backup file was taken. And they found some of that, such as the email where the two women discussed what they were going to wear to an event that evening. And there was a lot less email on the backup file than that they expected to find.

[SticksnStones]

44. The whole event doesn't pass the smell test

Except for the part where Weiner got creepy with someone he understood to be an underage girl. No one disputes the creepy part... And his statement read on court does say she texted him. (Don't you need someone's phone number to text them? How did that happen?)

It's just real squirrely...all of it. But I guess if he's agreed to a guilty plea, and he did do guilty acts - I guess the rest is just epilogue ~

[american_ideals]

88. Yes! Question is how the FBI handled it

We need to know what the NY FBI field office did, who they leaked to, what Giuliani did, and whether they did sleazy stuff to force Comey's hand

[yallerdawg]

14. Behind every "Monica Lewinsky" lurks...

a "Linda Tripp."

The major philosophical question of today: "What the hell do we know?"

[SticksnStones]

45. Spot on. NT

[Alice11111]

46. Yes, it all came together too bigly for Repubs. I was

Suspicious at the time. It was pretty obvious these were copies of emails that somehow backed up, probably when Huma checked her email once or twice (not too sharp of her either, but she said, she didn't use his computer.
Still, Comey...humble servant, rot.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

81. My first thought was Linda Trip, too.

Seems to answer the "what was this girl thinking" question.

Dammit, Wiener, you didn't do democracy any favors. You and your damn addiction.

[Lee-Lee]

18. Yeah 16 vs 15 doesn't change anything- this is crap

Notice how they never say she was 16, even though that is what they are claiming? Instead they keep using the phrase "nearly 17". That's a textbook manipulation by a propaganda site to phrase things in that way. How many of you though "oh 17 is a big difference here" when you first read this? That's how these junk stories work.

They bring up age of consent laws, but those are about actual sex acts and are a total red herring in this case because they don't apply. What applies are state and federal laws about sexually explicit photos and texts. In NC an adult can have sex with a 16 year old, but a naked picture of the same 16 year old is a crime. But the reference to age of consent laws has zero actual bearing to the facts of the case and once again is out there just to try and lead the reader to a conclusion the propagandists want.

Also this investigation stated with the Charlotte FBI office on the girls end before moving to the NY office. They are pretty good about confirming the facts early on in cases like this.

Also, I'm pretty sure he had good lawyers. If this was a setup I'll bet that he wouldn't have taken a plea deal. And would have not taken one that misrepresents basic facts like the victims age.

[Crabby Appleton]

62. Indeed

But a lot of people wish to ignore such details.

[WinkyDink]

19. He pled "Guilty." Case closed.

[Orrex]

26. That (nt)

[still_one]

29. Exactly. I wouldn't be pushing this issue. Weiner is a scum bag who not only hurt his wife,

but because of his wife's position with Hillary, hurt Hillary

I hope we never hear from this jerk again

[JDC]

20. Sorry, but he is still a creep. I think this does smell of setup but

his own kid is still in his hard-on pic(s). WTF. I am not going to conflate or excuse this for the other. F Him.

[Orrex]

24. That's it exactly

Regardless of the girl's or the family's motives, if Weiner weren't a skeevy prick this wouldn't have been an issue.

[rpannier]

78. Yep. +1

He's a loser and if he was set up, it's because he made himself a target
It's not like it took much, if any, prodding

[cannabis_flower]

21. Anthony Weiner..

Is proof that the Clintons don't kill people because if they had motive to kill anyone it would be him.

[canetoad]

31. Yep

Very true.

[DesertRat]

22. So she was 16, still underage. nt

[Orrex]

25. Age of consent in North Carolina is 16

Regardless, Weiner is a skeevy prick and brought this on himself.

[yodermon]

35. Right. all of a sudden she's over the age of consent. wtf.

not to absolve weiner, here, he is self-admitted scum.

Just bizarre that he would PLEAD GUILTY to sexting to a girl under the age of consent, if in fact she WAS NOT. just bizarre.

[Orrex]

37. Right?

Skeevy prick.

And what kind of a fucked up lawyer would let him plead guilty before confirming the other party's age, since it's front-and-center relevant?

[forgotmylogin]

42. It doesn't change what he did.

If she told Weiner she was 15, he should have known better than to continue interacting with her. It sucks if it was a sting operation and she was of legal age, but from his perspective, he had no problem sexting a girl he believed to be underage. This makes the case he could and would theoretically have done the same with any other underage girl.

[Orrex]

43. I'm 100% down with all of that.

He's a pig and deserves the full extent of his sentence, full stop. No argument from me there. It seems similar to men who are convicted for soliciting sex with with a minor after chatting with a 40 year old male cop who was passing himself of as a 14 year old girl online as part of a sting. Weiner can go and spend the rest of his life fucking himself.

[LisaM]

48. True, but if it was concocoted as an excuse to look on his laptop.....

then I think it is an issue if it was a setup. Both sides can be wrong.

[Orrex]

54. That's an interesting thought

One of the lawyers among us can certainly correct me on this, but if he was the target of a sting and wound up committing a criminal act as a result, then that's on him regardless of the intent of the parties who engineered the sting.

If it's true though, it's pretty fucking gross that the parents would put their child into this situation at all.

[LisaM]

61. I'm not exonerating him at all.

But if the adult parents of a person who is of age in the subject jurisdiction concocted a scheme - and preying on a person with known issues - in order to create questions about his laptop and to perpetuate the email nonsense, I think that's execrable, too. However, I don't entirely trust the source either. We'll see what we see.

[Orrex]

63. Yeah, it's a big ugly mess in any case. (nt)

[Alice11111]

50. Well, being a child sex pervert in prison, he won't be fucking

Himself. No sympathy. Huma was staying w him to try and keep her child's father from going to prison.

She should not stay, as they could say she endangered the child by leaving him w Weiner.
He looks like a disgusting weasel. He has virtually no career path. Huma, don't back down this time.

It pisse me off that it was probably another set up though, to get at hillary.

[uponit7771]

67. +1

[mythology]

83. Why do you presume from one uncomfirmed report that the girl wasn't the purported age?

People are far too quick to believe what they want to believe.

What's more likely, this single report is false, or the prosecutor lied about the girl's age, the defense attorney is utterly incompetent, and nobody who was involved spilled the beans?

Occam's razor suggests the first is more likely.

[Orrex]

91. Lee-Lee has addressed this several times already, and I have conceded that point.

[Lee-Lee]

47. Age of consent is 100% irrelevant in this case

The fact that it's been put into this story shows how the authors are trying to manipulate your opinion with irrelevant points. And with people using it in the discussion it shows how their manipulation is working.

Age of consent is only for physical sex acts.

It doesn't cover sexually explicit texts or photos with a minor. You can have sex with a 16 year old in NC, but if you have or solicit a naked picture of that same 16 year old it's a felony, and if you do it across state lines it is a Federal crime as well as a state one.

[Orrex]

53. Yes, you're correct.

I was so caught up in the indisputable fact that Weiner is a skeevy prick that I was missing this clear and obvious truth.

[Oneironaut]

58. Yes. This article deliberately misleads. It's literary bullshit.

[Bucky]

55. Correction

he brought it onto all of us

[Orrex]

59. Damn, ain't that the truth.

One Weiner fucked the whole country.

[stevenleser]

90. I've spent a day thinking about this and I think this changes everything

There is no victim if this is true.

Someone who did what the teen did in this case cannot be classified as a victim of the crime and thus there was no crime.

Does that mean Weiner isn't a sick creep? No. But if it were up to me his conviction/guilty plea would be vacated.

[Turbineguy]

27. Weiner made himself vulnerable to a

ratfucking operation.

[frankieallen]

28. So Wieners lawyers never verified the girls age before pleading the case?

[yodermon]

33. yep makes no friggin sense.n/t

[Caliman73]

36. I don't think that the age matters. The crime is transferring obscene materials to a minor.

He got in trouble with the law because he transferred material to someone he believed was under the age of consent presumably because he believed she was 15.

It is like a prostitution sting (not that I agree with criminalizing prostitution but it is illegal). When the police undercover stands there and a John comes up and solicits sex for money, he is breaking the law even though the cop is not really a prostitute. The John thought she was and solicited the sex for money thereby breaking the law willfully.

Like those shows that Chis Hansen used to do where those guys would come over to that house after chatting with a supposedly under aged person, then Chris would come in and be, "What are you doing here...?" The crime is the intent to engage in the illicit activity despite knowing it is illegal.

[Lee-Lee]

49. You are correct- age of consent is only about physical contact

And has zero bearing on this case. It's totally irrelevant to the charges he faced and the only reason to bring it up is to spread disinformation.

[Alice11111]

51. It's illegal to view child porn

I have seen convictions. The demand creates the victims.

[Caliman73]

52. 100% agreed.

I think people are looking for ways to diminish how wrong what he did was, and not because it hurt Hillary or even Houma. He was working toward sexual contact with a girl he thought was 15. If he was a Republican, I think that people on our side would be ready to physically brand the offender a pervert, but we can sometimes get caught up in the tribalism.

I think that it is different because I have not seen anyone overtly defend his actions, but I agree that spreading disinformation does not help our cause at all.

Unlike the Elliot Spitzer scandal, which was between consenting adults, Weiner was looking to sexually abuse a minor.

[niyad]

30. colour me soooooooo not surprised.

[yodermon]

32. THIS IS ALL VERY BIZARRE.

1) The Hill's source is WhoWhatWhy.org ... are they sketchy? a good source? Significant that theHill would validate them like this.
https://whowhatwhy.org/2017/05/22/exclusive-weiners-underage-sexting-girl-lied-damage-clinton/

2) This all drops after Mensch posts a prominent correction to her original Carolina Catfish Conspiracy piece:
https://patribotics.blog/2017/02/14/the-carolina-conspiracy-putin-catfished-weiner-louise-mensch/

3) The LEGAL FILING states the girl is under 16 (NOT that Weiner "believed her to be" under 16. Maybe a distinction without a difference, legally, but still) :

Link to tweet

[C Moon]

34. I was thinking this morning if Russia could be going for state politics, as well.

In California, the GOP is going after a Democratic senator. Ousting him would remove our super majority. Probably just politics, but it makes me wonder how deep the Russian involvement goes in our country.

[StevieM]

38. This is incredible...but predictable. There really is a vast-right wing conspiracy. (eom)

[Madam45for2923]

56. Writer Alana Goodman & Cassandra Rules/ Fairbanks partied at Trumps inauguration

This whole thing needs more investigating.

The writer of the Daily Mail article is Alana Goodman.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3790824/Anthony-Weiner-carried-months-long-online-sexual-relationship-troubled-15-year-old-girl-telling-hard-asking-dress-school-girl-outfits-pressing-engage-rape-fantasies.html

Here together:

Cassandra Fairbanks on Twitter: "#WomenWhoVoteTrump are badass. MAGA! " with Alana Goodman http://archive.is/QaOZL

[Oneironaut]

57. Of course, women get blamed again because some loser is trolling for little girls.

The original article is weak, if not embarrassing. Pointing out that the girl was 16 instead of 15? Really!? That's an irrelevant fact thrown in to deliberately mislead the reader. She was still under 18, so Weiner still broke the law.

This is hackish and desperate. I don't care if a teenage girl says she likes Trump or not. All I know is, the only one to blame for this situation is Weiner. He's a perv, and any attempts to excuse his actions are nauseating.

[Bucky]

69. Thank you. I half expect them to bring up how she was dressed while texting him

[FiveGoodMen]

75. So... lying's okay as long as you're ... female?

No blame to go around?

Huh

[Agschmid]

60. Yeah he is still a bad guy, let's be real a minor is a minor.

I could give a shit if it was a set up or not, he should have known better.

It's that easy, and to see people dismissing this is ridiculous.

[uponit7771]

65. SMDH !!!

[McCamy Taylor]

70. Republicans smear with sex. An important reminder.

[HeartachesNhangovers]

71. Adult versus underage girl (whether she's 15, 16 or 17) ...

in a sex-based situation, I'm going to assume the underage girl is the victim every time and I don't care about the "age of consent" or any other legalities. Weiner goes to prison where he belongs and I don't care if he never gets out.

[athenasatanjesus]

73. It's amazing how Weiners actions could damage Clinton at all considering her opponent.

[ffr]

74. Lies and deceit. KGOP game plan course 101

It's right in their playbook. Lie their asses off to get elected. Whatever it takes. People care less about the truth after the fact.

I'd like to see HRC sue her ass.

[avebury]

76. While Weiner is slimy and not the brightest bulb in the tulip patch,

if the issues raised in this article are true and if the girl and/or her family gave false statements to law enforcement officials, she and/or her family should face criminal charges.

[orangecrush]

77. ...

[L. Coyote]

80. K & R

[kyburbonkid]

82. Clinton's Emails where just phone dump backups of Huma Adebin's phone.

Something that needs to be made clear when it comes to Clinton's emails on Anthony Weiner laptop. These emails were just an automated backup image of Clinton aide Huma Abedin's phone (Anthony Weiner's wife's phone). Nothing to see there. And in my opinion the whole of the Clinton Email fiasco was nothing but hyperventilating BS in a bag republicans doing what they do best, dirty tricks, lies and exaggerations for the vast right-wing flakes and the fox news audience. Just like Benghazi benghazi benghazi benghazi!!!

[StevieM]

87. I completely agree. The whole thing was so crazy, from beginning to end. (eom)

[american_ideals]

84. Key: did NY FBI use Weiner to smear HRC?

Did he FBI change their investigation timing to hurt HRC?
Did they leak to anyone, including Giuliani, to hurt HRC?
And this is even beyond the pale but did they plant emails anywhere to hurt HRC?



These are the questions we must have answers to by the end. I think we will get answers.

[StevieM]

86. Excellent questions. The FBI's behavior was outrageous. (eom)

[american_ideals]

89. And possibly illegal

We better find out one way or the other.

[StevieM]

98. Welcome to DU!! What scares me most about Russia-gate is that people are using it

Last edited Mon Feb 24, 2020, 03:11 AM - Edit history (1)

to rehabilitate Comey and the FBI. They are being seen by some as the diligent workers, vigilantly pursuing the truth.

One is not mutually exclusive to the other. They can be partisans who made sure that the GOP candidate won, come hell or high water. And at the same time they can also not like Trump and be willing to investigate him--after they have locked up the victory.

After all, if Trump goes down the Republicans still hold the White House. They still humiliated Hillary Clinton. And Neil Gorsuch is still on the Supreme Court.

[american_ideals]

100. FBI NY Field office may be dirty

We should all push for an internal review of the FBI, especially in the NY Field office


But first, let's get all this Russia Trump GOP info out in public. At the rate the NYT and WaPo are publishing stories, that should just be a few weeks.

[melman]

85. "nearly 17 "

Well it's okay then. Obviously.

Fucking hell.

[PDittie]

94. No.

The Dubious "Anthony Weiner's Accuser Was Actually Over 16" Story, And Why I'm Very Skeptical

Friday I wrote about Anthony Weiner's federal plea to transferring obscene material to a person under 16, and offered some comments on how it was unusual and notable.

Since then, a site called "Who What Why" has published a story claiming that the minor in the case was 17, not 15, and that she initiated contact with Weiner, possibly as part of an anti-Clinton conspiracy. The Hill — a more mainstream publication — has picked up the story.

I'm very skeptical, based on my familiarity with federal criminal investigations and procedure.

Who What Why doesn't offer any evidence or documents supporting their claim — only an assertion that they used "sophisticated forensic techniques" to uncover her true identity and verified her age through court records and social media posts — which they don't display.

Who What Why's treatment of the relevant law is incorrect and, frankly, sloppy.

==================

Annnnnnd a lot more.

[Fluke a Snooker]

96. I hate Donald Trump, granted. But don't insult my intelligence. The girl WAS 15.

To be blunt, the GOP is the most destructive force in the history of the planet, and Trump has just superceded George Bush as the second most destructive man in history (behind Ronald Reagan.) And yes, the investigation into Weiner's weiner activity probably cost Hillary the election. But DON'T mess with the actual truth.

Here is the actual court document: https://cryptome.org/2017/05/weiner-files.pdf

Note that it clearly indicates the girl was under 16 when the sexting went on, and that Weiner knew about it.

We have enough on the GOP heathen to put them all in jail for eternity. But don't muddy the waters with non-facts.

[ucrdem]

97. The original article states that the court docs are incorrect:

from the May 22 Who.What.Why article by Russ Baker and others:
.....................
A key break came when, utilizing an array of sophisticated forensic techniques, we uncovered the girl’s true identity. We verified that we had the right person with four individuals close to or connected to her — including her former teacher and her own mother. By identifying the girl, we were then able to learn a great deal about her and her family. And that in turn led to the discovery of the lies.

The young woman has since turned 18, but because she was a minor at the time, we have decided not to publicly identify her.

Here are some of the key issues our investigation raises — and the corresponding evidence:

Issue #1: The girl wasn’t really 15
.
According to the media accounts of this story and Weiner’s plea deal, the girl “had not attained the age of 16 years.”

However, our research shows that the girl was in fact not “15 and a sophomore” as the Daily Mail reported, when she initiated contact with Weiner. A court record shows that she was just shy of her 17th birthday at the time she approached him.

In addition, her extensive social media footprint provides further evidence. For example, she posted a picture in 2014 on her 15th birthday after having been given a North Carolina learner’s permit.
.............................
https://whowhatwhy.org/2017/05/22/exclusive-weiners-underage-sexting-girl-lied-damage-clinton/

[Fluke a Snooker]

99. Then the entire case was a fraud

In short, the case depends on "he said, she said;" timestamped social media content, and other matters. But that doesn't matter: the court definitely states that she WAS 15, not that she PORTRAYED HERSELF as 15. Did the court get it wrong? If so, Wiener's attorney should have been all over this discrepancy, as it would actually make the difference between sentencing guidelines, if not actual guilt and innocence.

The real key, however, is that Baker doesn't release any of his sourcing information, so we have to take his word for it, just like we have to take the word of any Trumptard press goon defending Trump's vast sexual violations. FWIT, a simple FOI request would definitely determine whether the girl was actually 15 or not, particularly for this elusive "court record" that states that she was "just shy of 17 when she approached him." Had that court record been introduced into the real trial, Weiner would most probably be a free man and we'd be having this discussion at the same level as Russian impeachment in terms of conspiracy.

[cwydro]

101. He's still a scum and a pervert.

Ugh.