The Dirty Founder Nik Richie Hits The Spotlight After Exposing Anthony Weiner

The Dirty was launched in 2007 as a way to make fun of the Scottsdale, Arizona, nightclub scene, but the site run by Nik Richie is now in the public eye after exposing the latest scandal for Anthony Weiner.

Weiner stepped down from his seat in Congress and escaped from the public eye after it was revealed that he was sending lewd online messages to a number of women, and this week he was caught again. The Dirty posted a blurred-out picture of Weiner’s private parts he had sent to a 22-year-old woman and a timestamp that showed it took place after he already left office.

Weiner, who trails Christine Quinn in the Democratic primary, took full responsibility.

“As I have said in the past, these things that I did were wrong and hurtful to my wife and caused us to go through challenges in our marriage that extended past my resignation from Congress,” he said in a statement. “While some things that have been posted today are true and some are not, there is no question that what I did was wrong. This behavior is behind me. I’ve apologized to Huma and am grateful that she has worked through these issues with me and for her forgiveness.

The story has forced Weiner back on the defensive and made a name for The Dirty, much like the Bill Clinton scandal helped vaunt The Drudge Report to popularity.

The Dirty has been criticized for its harsh views on women, but has been steadily raising its profile with scoops on the scandals of the rich and famous. Earlier this month, the site exposed an affair between former Miramax chairman and Colony Capital partner Richard Nanula and adult-film actress Samantha Saint.

But the Anthony Weiner scandal is the biggest story yet for The Dirty. Details of the case — like the fact that Weiner used the name Carlos Danger when corresponding online — have quickly become front-page news.

When it comes to the Anthony Weiner scandal and the role The Dirty has played, Nik Richie takes a simplistic approach, telling The Hollywood Reporter: “I’m just doing my job.”