In one of the most bizarre stories of the year, New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer is being linked to a high scale prostitution ring. Even more bizarre is that it’s being broken by the NY Times. WNBC is reporting that Spitzer is planning on resigning later this afternoon. First, here’s the opening of the NY Times article breaking this story:
Gov. Eliot Spitzer has been caught on a federal wiretap arranging to meet with a high-priced prostitute at a Washington hotel last month, according to a person briefed on the federal investigation.
The wiretap recording, made during an investigation of a prostitution ring called Emperors Club VIP, captured a man identified as Client 9 on a telephone call confirming plans to have a woman travel from New York to Washington, where he had reserved a room. The person briefed on the case identified Mr. Spitzer as Client 9.
Here’s the opening of the WNBC article:
New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer is expected to resign after telling senior members of his administration that he was involved in a prostitution ring, sources told WNBC.com.
The governor met with his senior aides earlier Monday afternoon after cancelling scheduled events for Monday. Spitzer is expected to make an announcement Monday afternoon. The governor may be linked to the prostitution ring through cell phone records, sources told WNBC.com.
The press fawned all over Spitzer when he was a prosecutor, calling him “Eliot Ness”. Time magazine even named Spitzer Crusader of the Year. To say that that image is shot is understatement.
Personally, Spitzer’s law enforcement credentials came into question when he considered giving illegal immigrants drivers licenses. That was a telltale sign that he wasn’t a hardline law & order guy.
UPDATE: Here’s what the LA Times blog is reporting:
Spitzer’s press announcement was short and sweet and devoid of details. Without specifying what he was talking about — but the context was clear — Spitzer apologized to his family. “I have acted in a way that violates my obligation to my family…. I must now dedicate my time to regain the trust of my family.”
He also apologized “to the public, and I promise better. I do not believe that politics in the long run is about individuals. It is about ideas, the public good and doing what is best for the state of New York.” Spitzer also said he “failed to live up to the standard I expected of myself.” He took no questions.
If the allegations are true, which Spitzer is essentially admitting, then Spitzer has done more than violate his “obligation to my family…” It’s obvious that he’s also broken some laws.
It’s time for Gov. Spitzer to resign. Not only did he betray his family’s trust, he also betrayed the trust of New Yorkers. While he certainly isn’t the first person to get caught with prostitutes, that doesn’t excuse his actions. Besides, there’s rumors floating around that this business is involved in a money laundering operation.
Simply put, the law & order governor will soon be a criminal.
UPDATE II: Chris Cillizza has some great quotes on Spitzer’s situation:
“The Governor of New York should immediately resign from office and allow the people of New York to pursue honest leadership. The American people are tired of corrupt and hypocritical politicians,” said Republican Governors Association executive director Nick Ayers. “The Governor of New York is just another in the long list of politicians that have failed their constituents.”
“Assuming all of the allegations are true, it would be very hard for him to survive, I believe,” Assemblyman Joseph R. Lentol (D-Brooklyn) told washingtpost.com’s Ed
O’Keefe.
As usual, Michelle Malkin is all over this.
UPDATE III: The NY Times just posted this interesting tidbit of information:
Mr. Spitzer’s involvement with the prostitution operation came to light in court papers filed last week, the officials said, as federal prosecutors brought charges against four people who had been running the service, Emperor’s Club V.I.P. Mr. Spitzer was caught on a federal wiretap discussing payments and arranging to meet a prostitute in a Washington hotel room last month. The affidavit, which did not identify Mr. Spitzer by name, indicated that he had used the prostitution service before, although it was not clear how many times.
Brit Hume interviewed Greta van Susteren in the opening segment of Special Report tonight. One of the things Greta said stuck with me. What she said was that she’d looked at the the criminal complaint and that she’d be very afraid if she was the defense attorney in this case. She said that there were numerous quotes followed by …, which meant that the feds had that conversation taped.
If Greta’s right about that, which I think she is, then Spitzer’s troubles are just beginning. Here’s something else that should have Spitzer worried:
Mr. Spitzer has not been charged with a crime. But one law enforcement official who has been briefed on the case said that Mr. Spitzer’s lawyers would probably meet soon with federal prosecutors to discuss any possible legal exposure. The official said the discussions were likely to focus not on prostitution, but how it was paid for: Whether the payments from Mr. Spitzer to the service were made in a way to conceal their purpose and source. That could amount to a crime called structuring, which carries a penalty of up to five years in prison.
UPDATE IV: Kevin at Pundit Review has a great post up about the Spitzer Scandal.
Technorati: Scandal, Eliot Spitzer, Resignation, Prostitution, Corruption, Ethics
Cross-posted at California Conservative
