City Council Candidate Asked Female Reporter Why a 'Pretty Girl' Like Her Researched His Finances

Oh, wow: when a DNAinfo.com reporter recently asked City Council candidate Ed Hartzog about the $8,000 he’s raised since he decided to run about a month ago — information that’s listed on the New York City Campaign Finance Board website for all to see — Hartzog said, “What’s a pretty girl like you doing reading those?”

Yes, this is real life, not Erin Brockovitch.

Later, he said: “I hope for goodness sake that my flippant comment isn’t going to be part of the story. I was just sort of being something. I hope you didn’t take offense by that. I didn’t mean to be offensive.”

“I was sort of just being something” = definite new low in terms of non-apology apologies.

We are very impressed that said reporter handled the incident with grace while also getting the last laugh by humiliating him on the internet (and hopefully throwing a wrench into his political aspirations) with his own words. Props.