A Manhattan resident entered the City Council race in 2021, only to encounter an unexpected twist when a ‘sex tape’ involving him and a dominatrix was made public.
Zack Weiner (a coincidental surname) ran as a Democratic candidate for the Sixth District on the Upper West Side, garnering 959 votes.
Although his campaign was brief, as he was surpassed by former Borough President Gale Brewer, who decisively won the November 2021 election, a leaked video brought Weiner into the spotlight for an unforeseen reason.
A Twitter-posted video depicted Weiner in a dominatrix dungeon, nearly unclothed, with a gag in his mouth and wearing nipple clamps.
The contender, son of Eric Weiner, co-creator of Dora the Explorer, was seen having hot wax poured on his skin while a red-haired dominatrix continued her acts.
However, the full story of what really occurred that day is more complex.
While Weiner did find himself in a sex dungeon subjected to a dominatrix’s whims, it wasn’t meant to be a hidden scandal that he feared would surface.
Weiner is an actor and screenwriter with ambitions in political satire, including a documentary chronicling his journey in the political sphere.
Weiner’s team reached out to the New York Post, aiming to address the scandal before his opponents could exploit the video.
He told the publication: “I am a proud BDSMer. I like BDSM activity.”
This statement quickly became a media sensation, drawing attention from Stephen Colbert, Seth Meyers, and Greg Gutfeld, who all made light of the political scandal.
But what nobody knew was that this was all part of Weiner’s scheme.
Unbeknownst to many, Weiner was in the process of filming a mockumentary named Citizen Weiner, which captured behind-the-scenes moments during his City Council campaign.
“When the film industry shut down due to COVID-19, Zack and his friend Joe embarked on a unique project: to make a film about running for City Council, while actually running for New York’s City Council,” the description of the flick reads.
The dominatrix incident was intentionally staged as a segment of the documentary, aiming to create a scandal that would captivate the public.
Weiner’s friend and campaign manager, Joe Gallagher, recently disclosed that their entire campaign served as content for their ‘reality movie’ inspired by well-known sex scandals.
He told The Post: “It was just something we filmed for the campaign.
“We decided we wanted to do some sort of political comedy. And Zack actually had an idea. He wanted to write a script about a local politician or bureaucrat who benefits through some sort of scandal.”
“I started this together with my campaign manager Joe Gallagher with the intention of making a film that draws attention to local politics,” Weiner told West Side Rag.
He added: “Joe and I had a mantra for our campaign and our movie that we repeated to each other throughout — ‘it’s funny but it’s not a joke’.”
“What we hoped to accomplish was the production of an entertaining and funny movie that highlighted a true reality of politics — the ways in which it is accessible, the process of getting involved, the fun and impact that can be had in your community, and the larger discourse that surrounds politics.”
The dominatrix scene is actually part of the film, featuring an extended conclusion not revealed to the media or public during his campaign.
As the scene concludes, the dominatrix removes his gag and Weiner inquires off-screen to Gallagher: “How was that, Joe, Did we get it?”
His ‘campaign manager’ responds: “Yep, that should work.”
Their documentary is scheduled to premiere in Manhattan on October 22 at the Angelika Film Center in the East Village.