/*Congressman Weiner*/ called the whole thing a prank.
He claims someone hacked into his /*Twitter*/ account and sent a photo of a man's bulging underwear to a 21-year old college student in Seattle.
She agrees it was a hoax, and that she had recently been harassed on line.
In a statement to the Daily News, Jeanette Cordova wrote:
"There have never been any inappropriate exchanges between /*Anthony Weiner*/ and myself, including the tweet/picture in question."
"This is a prank. Not a terribly creative one. And it's a distraction," Weiner said. "Look, you've got Republicans playing games with the debt limit. You have a Supreme Court justice who is refusing to reccuse himself despite conflicts of interest. You have a health care act under siege. You know this is a distraction."
His spokesman, Dave Arnold, says the Democrat believes it was a prank. But he's retained a lawyer to advise him on what civil or criminal actions should be taken.
The controversy quickly became the subject of an internet war between liberal bloggers who love Weiner and conservatives who doubt the veracity of Weiner's hacking claim.
It first was reported Saturday by BigGovernment.com, a website run by conservative commentator Andrew Breitbart.
Weiner, an unabashed liberal who may run for mayor, has infuriated the conservative establishment.
His rants on Capitol Hill have become infamous.
"Make no mistake about it every single Republican I have ever met in my entire life is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the insurance industry," Weiner once said.
And then there was that outburst last year about the 9/11 health bill.
Weiner's also well-known for his wit. He makes fun of his last name a lot, but on this latest twitter flap he's become awfully tight-lipped.
"I participate in the story a couple of days. Now I've given comments on it. This is a distraction and I'm not going to let it distract me," he said.
Weiner represents New York's 9th District, which covers parts of Queens and Brooklyn, where he was born and raised. He failed in a 2005 bid for the Democratic nomination for mayor of the city but still is widely considered a contender for the office.
He has worked on issues including public housing, homeland security and energy for his constituents.
Weinger, 46, is married to Huma Abedin, an aide to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
