Governor Spitzer Apologizes After New York Times Reveals Link To Prostitution Ring
New York Governor Eliot Spitzer, a rising star in the Democratic Party and a major force in his state until he hit some rocky political bumps, has now apologized after a New York Times report linked him to a prostitution ring.
According to the Times, he was caught on a federal wiretap.
His apology has the feeling of one shoe dropping. Because it’s likely the other shoe will drop soon. It’s likely that pressure will build on him to resign — and that could have multi-faceted impacts on New York, the Democratic Party and perhaps even the Presidential race (he is a Hillary Clinton Superdelegate).
The latest from CNN:
Gov. Eliot Spitzer said he “acted in way that violates his obligation to his family,” speaking hours after the New York Times reported he told senior administration officials he had been involved in a prostitution ring.
“I apologize first and most importantly to my family. I apologize to the public, to whom I promised better,” he said.
He did not elaborate on the paper’s claims and did not take any questions after making his statement.
“I am disappointed that I failed to live up to the standard I expected of myself,” he said
The paper’s Web site cited an anonymous administration official and said the New York governor met with his top aides before making his statement.
“To say this is a shock is an understatement,” said CNN senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin, who went to law school with Spitzer.
Spitzer served as New York’s attorney general for eight years before being elected governor.
Time magazine named him “Crusader of the Year” during his two terms as New York attorney general.
Tabloids labeled him “Eliot Ness,” after the hero in the crime drama “The Untouchables,” because of his reputation for rooting out corruption, busting white-collar criminals and tackling organized crime.
Here’s the opening of the New York Times investigative piece:
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.
The governor learned that he had been implicated in the prostitution probe when a federal official contacted his staff last Friday, according to the person briefed on the case.
The governor informed his top aides Sunday night and this morning of his involvement. He canceled his public events today and scheduled an announcement for this afternoon after inquiries from the Times.
The governor’s aides appeared shaken, and one of them began to weep as they waited for him to make his statement at his Manhattan office. Mr. Spitzer was seen leaving his Fifth Avenue apartment just before 3 p.m. with his wife of 21 years, Silda, heading to the news conference.
There is nothing quite like a sex scandal to stop a successful politician in his tracks.
Particularly a politician such as Eliot Spitzer, the governor of New York who made his name as an aggressive prosecutor of corporate fraud and organized crime and now tells his staff that he personally has been involved in a prostitution ring.
Spitzer, a Democrat elected governor of The Empire State in 2006, apparently has spent some time around the Emperors Club VIP…
…. Politicians have survived sex scandals, of course. Former President Clinton, who at first denied his sexual involvement with a White House intern, stands as the most memorable example in recent times. And Sen. Larry Craig of Idaho, arrested in an airport men’s room, has resisted calls for his resignation.
But so much of Spitzer’s persona is invested in his own enforcement of the law – combatting white-collar crime and securities fraud as a state attorney general and organized crime as a prosecutor in New York City – that the admission of involvement in prostitution leaves little room for movement in a political arena unforgiving of hypocrisy.
You can almost predict some of the reaction. This will give talk show hosts a chance to talk about the Democrats and sex scandals (although the Republicans have had some of their own). Bill Clinton’s name will come up (isn’t it getting a little OLD?).
But the bottom line is that the Democratic Party has clearly lost one of its up-and-coming stars.
It’ll be hard to run as a Democrat with a Elliot Ness image because — according to the Times — this Elliot Ness was touchable.
Read lots of blog reaction HERE.
UPDATE: More details about the service.
30 Responses to “Governor Spitzer Apologizes After New York Times Reveals Link To Prostitution Ring”
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[...] NewsBusters.org | Exposing Liberal Media Bias wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptGovernor Spitzer Apologizes After New York Times Reveals Link To Prostitution Ring March 10th, 2008 by JOE GANDELMAN New York Governor Eliot Spitzer, a rising star in the Democratic party and a major force in his state until he hit some rocky political bumps, has now apologized after a New York Times report linked him to a prostitution ring. According to the Times, he was caught on a federal wiretap. His apology has the feeling of one shoe dropping. Because it’s likely the other shoe will [...]
I'm sure everyone remembers Republican Senator David Vitter, a patron of both family values and prostitutes, did not resign from the US Senate.
Damn shame, given his truly admirable record as AG (though he's struggled a bit as Governor, if I remember correctly.) His problem is not so much the sex scandal itself, he could probably survive that. It's the hypocrisy it represents that'll kill him. As a “crusading” law enforcement officer, he put a lot of people in jail for similar lapses.
“His problem is not so much the sex scandal itself, he could probably survive that.”
Well, not if this is a Mann Act violation.
*** YOU'RE *** the one who brought up Clinton.
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Eliot Ness? phffft. He was a dirtbag appealing to losers as “defender of the Little Guy” [sic].
As I've said before, if Hillary Clinton wants a true Dem representative of the Party at its “best” and wants a VP that will do more than just take orders, SPITZER IS HER MAN.
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Haha. This is great and comic relief from the Hill-O campaign!
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This is the perfect opportunity for Hillary to take stock, count delegates, and perhaps abandon her White House quest for a shot at the governor's mansion instead. Or, as an acquaintance suggested, perhaps Bill should be dispatched to run to keep him out of Hillary's campaign and/or administration…
Boys and girls, heads are a-shakin' here in New York…
If you're in the public eye, is it really that hard to keep it in your pants? Good grief. Give the man his walking papers.
Can you say “Governor Bloomberg”
GS – Vitter is a legislator, Spitzer is a part of the executive branch as AG and governor of NY. Spitzer should be held to a higher standard. As AG, he prosecuted people for the same illegal actions he is now being accused. I think he should step down for this hypocrisy.
Crains NY Business just sent out an email alert saying that their sources have told them that Spitzer may resign and the Lt. Governor sworn in as early as this evening…
Casual, that would be awesome. Not sure if Mayor Mike would give up the city early for that, though.
I am disappointed that our repressed society creates laws that interfere with sexual gratification between consenting adults. I wish personal lives were off limits to the media and the law.
Bloomberg is a Dem currently in “R” drag whom I believe could restore respectability to New York. Albany, the dysfunctional capital (boasting this nation's Communistic monument to gargantuan, conceited government) will never have respect.
There is no “repression” [sic] at issue here, only criminality and venality in addition to betrayal.
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“the perfect opportunity for Hillary to take stock”
Isn't Spitzer a superdelegate and Clinton supporter? That'll be great for Obama ads.
And who replaces Spitzer if Spitzer resigns??? Who might he endorse?
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“I am disappointed that our repressed society creates laws that interfere with sexual gratification between consenting adults. I wish personal lives were off limits to the media and the law.”
Me too, and even more so if that were the stand of this man. But it isn't, he says all the right things about cracking down on illegal activity, includes this among them, yet indulges. If legalizing prostitution were part of his platform I'd have no problem with this issue, but its not. Hence, he's just another elected official feeding us BS and got caught doing it. Make an honest effort to change the game and I'll give you some slack on these issues.
Prost & drugs shd be legal, but if you rail against them and bang hookers and shoot up you're twice as bad.
And Bloomberg's an Indy now.
Albany is not Communistic, not in any sense. It is, w/o doubt, a Capitalist's delight, for any political favor can be bought and sold there. Try again w the analogies, DLS.
Oof.
I do think that Senator Clinton making the announcement the morning after her big 2 state come back win was a bit premature to say the least ( and I have admired Hilliary since she her years as first lady) and she is my pick for the next President of the United States! However, I also believe that Senator Obama was beginning to get a little too comfortable with his lead so I think that Sen. Clinton was just giving him a little taste of his own medicine. If Sen. Obama would step down and join Hillary on the Dem ticket for Nov 08 and mutually would make history by having our first woman President of the United States of America Hillary Rodham Clinton; and Borack Obama, as our first African American Vice-President. From the east to the west coast and the bottom oceons of the Atlatic to the borders of Canada we would celebrate as one nation so that we can rebuild our country and stop worrying about everyone elses problems so that they can begin to help us! God Bless America!! Plus, Obama can think about this: Say Hillary was to BOMB her first for 4 years which I DOUBT he can run against her OR wait for her second term and then he'll have all the experience ne NEEDS NOW!!!!