NEW YORK (AP) — A former campaign intern who was heavily criticized by embattled mayoral candidate Anthony Weiner’s chief spokeswoman in an expletive-laced tirade has accepted her apology. NEW YORK (AP) — A former campaign intern who was heavily criticized
NEW YORK (AP) — A former campaign intern who was heavily criticized by embattled mayoral candidate Anthony Weiner’s chief spokeswoman in an expletive-laced tirade has accepted her apology.
The ex-intern, Olivia Nuzzi, tweeted her acceptance of the apology by spokeswoman Barbara Morgan on Wednesday.
Morgan had ranted about Nuzzi in an interview with the political news website Talking Points Memo. She later apologized for using vulgar language to describe Nuzzi and said she believed her interview was off the record.
Talking Points said it contacted Morgan on Tuesday for an unrelated story when she launched into her attack on Nuzzi for writing an unflattering first-person article for the Daily News about her experience working on Weiner’s campaign.
In the Tuesday cover story, Nuzzi wrote that Weiner often called interns Monica, a reference to former White House intern Monica Lewinsky, and that many people worked on the campaign only to get close to Weiner’s wife, Huma Abedin, an ex-aide to former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.
Nuzzi also said many of the campaign staffers, including Morgan, had “short resumes,” noting that the communications director “last worked as the press secretary for the New Jersey state education commissioner.”
Morgan said Nuzzi was bad at her job and threatened to sue her.
“She was clearly there because she wanted to be seen. … she would just not show up for work,” Morgan said, adding that she tried to fire Nuzzi but “gave her a second chance” when Nuzzi begged to come back.
Nuzzi stopped interning for the campaign about four weeks ago, Morgan said.
Later, she issued an apology.
“In a moment of frustration, I used inappropriate language in what I thought was an off the record conversation,” she said. “It was wrong and I am very sorry, which is what I said tonight when I called and emailed Olivia to apologize.”
Nuzzi, a college student and writer, tweeted that she “of course” accepted Morgan’s apology.
Morgan tweeted a photo of a swear jar stuffed with $100 bills and said, “Not my best day yesterday. Should’ve known better, been better. Gotta pay up.”
Last week, Weiner, a married Democrat, acknowledged exchanging sexually explicit messages with women online after similar behavior spurred his resignation from Congress in 2011. He released a new campaign video Tuesday evening saying he won’t quit the mayor’s race despite pressure from politicians and newspaper editors.
A poll released Monday found Weiner’s support fell from 26 percent last week to 16 percent.
