Anthony Weiner Twitter Picture

Rep. Anthony Weiner wasn’t able to laugh away what he says was a hacking scheme that posted lewd photos to his Twitter account, so he’s lawyering up instead. 

Weiner has hired an attorney to explore “what civil or criminal actions should be taken,” according to his spokesman, who adds Weiner is “loath to treat” the incident as more than a prank, “but we are relying on professional advice.”

The twitter post, which appeared Friday night and was quickly deleted, was first reported on by conservative website Biggovernment.com.  

“I was hacked. It happens to people,” Weiner told CNN Monday night. “This is a prank, not a terribly creative one, and it’s a distraction.” 

Gennette Cordova, the alleged target of Weiner’s tweet, said in a statement Sunday to the New York Daily News that even though she’s a “fan” of Weiner – who was also following her on twitter – she has never met the congressman.

“There have never been any inappropriate exchanges between Anthony Weiner and myself, including the tweet/picture in question, which had apparently been deleted before it reached me,” she said. 

“I cannot answer the questions that I do not have the answers to. … I also do not have a clear understanding as to how or why exactly I am involved in this fiasco.” 

Weiner, 46, is married to Huma Abedin, an aide to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. 

Internet security experts said the controversial post could have easily been done by someone with access to the congressman’s accounts.  But they also say it’s plausible that an unauthorized person infiltrated the system.