Report: Weiner used campaign funds to hire private investigators

Former Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.) spent more than $13,000 in campaign money to hire private investigators to look into the "hacking" of his Twitter account — despite his later admission that leaked photos sent through the social-networking site were genuine.

Weiner's fourth-quarter financial disclosure with the Federal Election Commission reveals a $13,290 payment to T&M Protective Services for "legal services." But the New York Daily News is reporting that that money was paid for investigative work.

The former congressman had initially maintained that his account had been hacked, and he was not responsible for a series of lewd images and flirtatious messages sent to fans. The firm, which employs former NYPD detectives, was hired to track down the hacker — who did not, in fact, exist.

Weiner was eventually forced to reveal that he was responsible for the tweets and pictures, and resigned last June.

But Weiner has been actively spending his campaign money since then on legal fees, travel and public-relations consultants. In his third-quarter filings, Weiner also paid the salary of a family member working for his campaign — all after he had resigned from the House.

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