Weiner, a 26-year-old graduate of the Ramaz Jewish high school and candidate for the Upper West Side of Manhattan's City Council, has been pushing a campaign centering on topics such as quality of life and financial literacy. He brings to the table an education in urban planning and a background in filmmaking – in fact, he is the son of Eric Weiner, a co-creator of the popular children's television series Dora the Explorer. It is this unorthodox approach, he explains on his website, that he thinks makes him fit for the post.
His sexual preferences had never been a talking point, however – until now.
The video depicts the Democratic City Council candidate gagged and restrained, unable to speak while a dominatrix clad in leather pours hot wax on him, among other other things.
The footage was shared over Twitter by an anonymous account. The tweet, according to The New York Post, read “My magnificent domme friend played with Upper West Side city council candidate Zack Weiner and I’m the only one who has the footage.”
While many politicians may have tried to hide from such a scandal emerging so close to primaries, Weiner has freely admitted that the video was genuine - albeit shared without his consent.
"Whoops," Weiner wrote on Twitter. "I didn't want anyone to see that, but here we are."
He added that he wasn't ashamed of the video, and that "this was a recreational activity that I did with my friend at the time, for fun."
He added that "While a few loud voices on Twitter might chastise me for the video, most people see the video for what it is: a distraction."
— Zack Weiner for the Upper West Side (@ELECTWEINER) June 19, 2021
Speaking to The New York Post, Weiner explained that the video was made with a former girlfriend some 18 months ago at the Parthenon studio in Midtown, known for its BDSM dungeons.
"I am a proud BDSMer. I like BDSM activity," he told The New York Post, but refused to disclose the name of the woman in the video with him, adding that he has no idea how the video surfaced.
Notably, the account had been reported by Weiner's campaign manager Joe Gallagher and it was taken offline, but only briefly. The account had been back before long, Gallagher told The New York Post.
The Democratic primary for the New York City Council District 6 is just days away, on June 22, ahead of the election on November 2. The incumbent, Helen Rosenthal, cannot run for a third consecutive term, leading the spot open.