This afternoon, Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY) acknowledged that he had sent inappropriate photos and messages to various women through email, text and social messaging sites. ABC News’s Chris Cuomo had been requesting an interview with Weiner all day as he has an interview with one of those women, Meagan Broussard.
How that interview came to pass, however, is almost as interesting as Weinergate itself. The news is buried toward the bottom of the first page of ABCNews.com’s story:
Broussard said she confided about her experiences with several close friends, including one with Republican political ties. The man, whom she declined to identify, encouraged her to share her story with Matt Drudge and conservative blogger Andrew Breitbart.
AdvertisementBreitbart, who first published details of Broussard’s story on Biggovernment.com, shared her identity with ABC News.
ABC News then contacted Broussard and licensed a handful of photos from her.
How much did ABC News pay?
The photos of Broussard, which she sent to Weiner, were licensed by ABC for “more than $10,000, but less than $15,000” according to a source familiar with the situation. This fact that the photos were licensed — without an amount — is mentioned in the ABCNews.com story toward the bottom of the first page. TV networks routinely pay a licensing fee for photos and videos in exchange for interviews.
Chris Cuomo’s story with the Broussard interview airs tonight on “World News with Diane Sawyer.” Coverage continues on Cuomo’s “On the Case” blog.