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NBC, CBS Omit Anthony Weiner's Party ID in Reports on Sentencing

NBC's "Today" and "CBS This Morning" on Tuesday omitted Anthony Weiner's Democratic Party affiliation during brief reports on his 21-month federal prison sentence for sexting with an underage girl.

Weiner pleaded guilty in May to a charge of transferring obscene material to a minor. In addition to his sentence on Monday, he was ordered to register as a sex offender. He is the estranged husband of Huma Abedin, a former top Hillary Clinton aide, who is filing for divorce.

"The New York Times says former congressman Anthony Weiner was sentenced to 21 months in prison for sexting with a 15 -year-old girl," CBS anchor Charlie Rose said. "Weiner cried as a federal judge handed down the sentence yesterday. He was also fined $10,000 and ordered to register as a sex offender. Weiner must report to prison by November 6."

NBC host Matt Lauer's report was similar.

"Former New York congressman Anthony Weiner was sentenced Monday to 21 months in prison for sexting with a 15-year-old girl," Lauer said. "As the sentence was read, the 53-year-old dropped his head and wept. In May, Weiner pleaded guilty to a charge of transferring obscene material to a minor."

Lauer did note Weiner was Abedin's husband but still did not mention his party. Abedin did not attend his sentencing.

"Weiner has to report to prison by November 6 to begin serving that sentence. He also has to enter into a sex offender treatment program," Lauer said.

ABC's "Good Morning America" did a full-length report on Weiner's sentence and noted he was a Democrat.

Weiner began exchanging sexually explicit messages with a 15-year-old girl online beginning in January of 2016. Once his latest behavior was reported by theĀ Daily Mail, a criminal investigation was launched that wound up affecting the presidential election.

The sentencing was the culmination of a lengthy downfall. Weiner's sexting habits led him to resign from Congress in 2011, and he also derailed his 2013 New York City mayoral bid after similar revelations surfaced.