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- Zack Weiner, who is running for Manhattan City Council, had a BDSM video of him leaked on Twitter.
- The video was flagged to the New York Post by his campaign manager, the news outlet said.
- In a statement, he said that he is "not ashamed" of the video and called it a "distraction" from the race.
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A video of a 26-year-old Manhattan City Council candidate being dominated by an ex-girlfriend in a BDSM dungeon was released onto Twitter, the New York Post reported.
The footage, showing Zack Weiner gagged and tied up, was posted by an anonymous account last week, the news outlet said.
The BDSM was flagged to the news outlet by Weiner's own campaign manager, according to The Post.
The footage was filmed at Parthenon studio in Midtown, The Post reported and described the venue as well-known for its high-quality BDSM dungeons.
Weiner, who is in the race for the Upper West Side's 6th District, confirmed to the news outlet that it was him in the footage and said that it was filmed at a BDSM dungeon in Manhattan in 2019.
In a statement posted to Twitter, Weiner said that he is "not ashamed" of the private video and that it is a "distraction" from his policies.
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"This was a recreational activity that I did with my friend at the time, for fun," Weiner wrote on Saturday. "Like many young people, I have grown into a world where some of our most private moments have been documented online."
Noting that he might be chastised for the video, the candidate said that he trusts that "voters will choose a city council representatives based on their policy and ability to best serve the community."
He told The Post that he is a "proud BDSMer" and described the release of the video as a "violation of trust."
Weiner's political platform is focused on improving the quality of life for District 6 residents, addressing the area's storefront vacancy, improving financial literacy, and bettering neighborhood policing, his website says.