New York congressman Anthony Weiner schedules news conference to announce his resignation

U.S. Congressman Anthony Weiner (D-NY) speaks to the media in New York in this June 6, 2011 file photo. The Democratic leader of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, on Saturday called on fellow Democratic Representative Weiner to resign after his admission last week that he had had improper Internet exchanges with several women and then lied about it. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/Files (UNITED STATES - Tags: POLITICS)

U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner, D-N.Y., has scheduled a news conference for 2:00 p.m. ET this afternoon to formally announce his resignation following a highly publicized scandal involving lewd photos that were sent to various women on Twitter.

Weiner, who recently admitted to engaging in sexual communications with roughly six women via text message shortly after claiming his Twitter account had been hacked, has already informed his associates and House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi that he will step down.

The disgraced politician initially voiced his intentions to stay in Congress, with polls showing that a majority of voters did not want him to relinquish his position. But pressure from Democratic leaders, including Pelosi and President Obama, reportedly influenced his change of heart.

Weiner, a married man whose wife is expecting their first child, vowed not to make a decision before consulting with his significant other, according to CSMonitor.com.

The New York congressman’s wife, Huma Abedin, returned to Washington yesterday after embarking on an overseas trip with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Weiner’s office issued a statement over the weekend to announce that he had requested a “short leave of absence to seek professional treatment to focus on becoming a better husband and healthier person.”

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