Rabbi Pinto’s followers having an off week

From left: Rabbi Yishayahu Yosef Pinto, Rep. Anthony Weiner, LeBron James

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Sexting Congressman Anthony Weiner, who is seeking a leave of absence from the House of Representatives after a Twitpic-gone-awry, is apparently a supporter of New York real estate’s favorite kabbalah scholar: Rabbi Yishayahu Yosef Pinto. According to the Daily News, Weiner, who lives in Forest Hills, is a regular at Pinto’s classes and gatherings and has received hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from Pinto’s other followers, including developers Zina Sapir and Haim Binstock. On the surface, it might seem as though Weiner could learn a lot from Pinto, who does not meet with women. But then again, the rabbi’s right-hand man, developer Ben Zion Suky, was linked to a bootleg porn video operation earlier this year (Suky is also a Weiner campaign donor, according to the Huffington Post). Weiner is now being called upon by House Democrats to resign, but even still, some might argue that Weiner isn’t even the Pinto follower having the worst week ever. Last summer, the Miami Heat’s LeBron James was reported to be seeking business advice from the rabbi. Here’s how that’s going for him. [NYDN]