Rep. Anthony Weiner had amassed more than $5.1 million for a potential New York City mayoral run in 2013, and now the disgraced pol has several options for what he can do with the cash.
The New York City Campaign Finance Board told NBC New York on Friday that Weiner must continue to file disclosures with the agency until he provides official notice that he will not be a candidate for office in 2013. As long as he keeps filing updates, the CFB says there is no practical requirement to make a decision until the year of the election.
If he decides not to run in 2013, as expected following his embarrassing sexting scandal and resignation from Congress, Weiner can use the money to make political contributions to others, he can give it to charity or he can return it to contributors.
He cannot transfer city funds into a federal campaign.
The other candidates for mayor who have raised considerable cash include Council Speaker Christine Quinn, with more than $3.2 million, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, with $1 million and Comptroller John Liu with $513,000.
The last disclosure date was January 18. The candidates will next file by July 15.
Weiner announced his resignation on Thursday, 20 days after he mistakenly sent a photo of his groin into the Twitterverse and 20 years after he launched his first City Council campaign. He had resisted calls to step down for several days, but said he felt the scandal was too much of a distraction to go on.
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House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi pushed Weiner to resign, first privately, and then publicly after he resisted.
A Democratic leadership aide said Weiner at one point pushed back at Pelosi, citing polls in his district that showed a majority still supported him. But she is said to have told him that the polls would allow him to go graciously.
One donor who has given $4,950 to Weiner's mayoral effort told NBC New York that he hasn't "given a moment's thought" to what should happen to the money.
Peter Buttenwieser, whose brother, Larry Buttenwieser, has helped Weiner raise campaign cash, said he thinks "it's important to let the dust settle and give him and his family a chance to put himself back together again."
"2013 is a long way off," he added.
During Weiner's brief appearance Thursday, the 46-year-old married Brooklyn native gave no indication on what he will do next, other than to say "I'll be looking for other ways to contribute my talents to make sure that we live up to that most New York and American of ideals."
Read Weiner's full resignation statement here.
Go here for NBC New York's complete Weiner coverage.
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