[speechlesstx]

Move over Larry Craig, there's a new "Sheriff of Wall Street" in town...

Gov. Eliot Spitzer has informed his most senior administration officials that he had been involved in a prostitution ring, an administration official said this morning.

Mr. Spitzer, who was huddled with his top aides inside his Fifth Avenue apartment early this afternoon, had hours earlier abruptly canceled his scheduled public events for the day. He had scheduled an announcement for 2:15 this afternoon after inquiries from the Times. But his appearance was delayed by at least 45 minutes.

Mr. Spitzer, a first-term Democrat who pledged to bring ethics reform and end the often seamy ways of Albany, is married with three children.

Just last week, federal prosecutors arrested four people in connection with an expensive prostitution operation. Administration officials would not say that this was the ring with which the governor had become involved.

But a person with knowledge of the governor's role said that the person believes the governor is one of the men identified as clients in court papers.

The governor's travel records show that he was in Washington in mid-February. One of the clients described in court papers arranged to meet with a prostitute who was part of the ring, the Emperors Club VIP on the night of Feb. 13.

Mr. Spitzer appeared on a CNBC television show at 7 a.m. the next morning. Later in the morning, he testified before a Congressional committee.

An affidavit filed in federal court in Manhattan in connection with that case lists six conversations between the man, identified as Client 9, and a booking agent for the Emperors Club.

He had a difficult first year in office, rocked by a mix of scandal and legislative setbacks. In recent weeks, however, Mr. Spitzer seemed to have rebounded, with his Democratic party poised to perhaps gain control of the state Senate for the first time in four decades.

Mr. Spitzer gained national attention when he served as attorney general with his relentless pursuit of Wall Street wrongdoing. As attorney general, he also had prosecuted at least two prostitution rings as head of the state's organized crime task force.

In one such case in 2004, Mr. Spitzer spoke with revulsion and anger after announcing the arrest of 16 people for operating a high-end prostitution ring out of Staten Island.

“”This was a sophisticated and lucrative operation with a multitiered management structure,” Mr. Spitzer said at the time. ”It was, however, nothing more than a prostitution ring.”

It appears he may have the decency to resign. If he does resign will he still be a superdelegate? Ain't it ironic, the governor client of a very expensive prostitution ring endorsing the wife of the "first philanderer?"

Sorry, forgot the link. Here is the link to the updated NY Times article.

[George_1950]

Wonder how he could afford this luxury, being a poor public servant?

[speechlesstx]

Apparently it's easier if you come from a wealthy family.

[Dark_crow]

Yeah…more double standards from the left:p

[speechlesstx]

It's sure making it harder for the Dems to wage their campaign against the "Republican culture of corruption."

[George_1950]

It's sure making it harder for the Dems to wage their campaign against the "Republican culture of corruption."

And the GOP needs all the help it can get. Couldn't 've come from a better guy in a better state. All hail the Queen.

[tomder55]

Wonder if he F~n steam-rolled her ?

This isn't in league with Craig. This is a violation of the MANN ACT .Craig's manhood is questionable at best .

Spitzer's resignation cannot come fast enough. But in all fairness he did keep his promises. NY government did change "from day One" ;it got notably worse .(note simularity to Evita's campaign theme)

Evita should dump him like a hot potato . He has been nothing but bad news for her campaign. She gave Obama the big momentum when she tried to justify and then fumbled her rationale about his executive order issuing licenses to illegal alien schemes. It was so unpopular even the f~n steamroller had to back down .

Typically these sexual things while grezzy are the least of the things we have to be concerned about his reign. He has already illegally tried to frame State Sen. Majority leader Joe Bruno with forged police documents. One has to wonder how often he employed similar tactics in his duties as State Att . General ? Speaking of that ;you would think that a former prosecutor of prostitution rings would know someone was watching . And this of course just begs the question... what were they really looking for ? It is just not likely that a judge would authorize a tap of a sitting Guv over suspicion that he is a client of a prostitute ring.

[EDIT] Found this today... the Feds were suspicious of large $$ transfers he made... ABC News: It Wasn't the Sex; Suspicious $$ Transfers Led to Spitzer
I guess $4500 a shot sure looked like he had been caught up in a bribe situation. But I don't buy it... He is a rich fat cat . $4500 is chump pocket change for him.

Flashback :

"This was a sophisticated and lucrative operation with a multi-tiered management structure," Spitzer said. "It was, however, nothing more than a prostitution ring, and now its owners and operators will be held accountable."

(Spitzer's 2004 announcement of breaking up a prostitution ring)
Operators of "Escort Services" Indicted

Ain't it ironic, the governor client of a very expensive prostitution ring endorsing the wife of the "first philanderer?"

And you would think that Evita would stop surrounding herself with men who can't keep their dip stick in their pants.Can't wait to see how she responds to the press asking about politicians who cheat on their wives.

[BABRAM]

I'm not surprised, but then again I live in Vegas. We were laughing about this in the office today. One of my peers mentioned that it was a prostitute costing 5K. If this is factual then Spitzer should resign on the basis of economic irresponsibility. In Vegas we have "Julie Roberts" level call girls for less than 2K. He not only broke the law, he found the girl with the golden tuchus.

[ScottGem]

I did not vote for Spitzer, though I generally vote Democratic. I felt Spitzer was a hypocrite. He personally cost me almost $20K. I work for a subsidiary of one of the companies he targeted. The result was an almost 50% decline in the stock value and a nearly $20K drop in my 401K

He kept saying he was out to protect the average person, but the only tangible result was a hit against the stockholders.

[oneguyinohio]

Maybe it was his idea of trying to help the economy? And if you think about it in the right context, he may have unintentionally made a great investment since he is still getting himself screwed as a result.

[excon]

Yeah…more double standards from the left:p

Hello DC:

Wrong again. It's the Republicans who don't like sex. Democrats think it's cool.

excon

[George_1950]

Hello DC:

Wrong again. It's the Republicans who don't like sex. Democrats think it's cool.

excon

$4,500 per pop worth of cool at that.

[tomder55]

ScottGem


Most of his corporate take downs were shake down schemes to generate revenue for the state . For you I say Merry Spitzmas !

[ScottGem]

ScottGem


most of his corporate take downs were shake down schemes to generate revenue for the state . For you I say Merry Spitzmas !

That and his own ego. I always felt he was more interested in his own rep than serving the taxpayers.

[speechlesstx]

Hello DC:

Wrong again. It's the Republicans who don't like sex. Democrats think it's cool.

:eek: I like sex

[speechlesstx]

[QUOTE=tomder55]wonder if he F~n steam-rolled her ?[/URL]

Looks like Spitzer F~n steam-rolled himself according to the update you gave.

"We had no interest at all in the prostitution ring until the thing with Spitzer led us to learn about it," said one Justice Department official.

Couldn't happen to a nicer guy. At least he didn't just keep the cash for his rendezvous in a freezer.

And you would think that Evita would stop surrounding herself with men who can't keep their dip stick in their pants.Can't wait to see how she responds to the press asking about politicians who cheat on their wives.

I'm thinking this may help Hillary even if she loses a superdelegate vote... that female solidarity thing could take another upswing.

[speechlesstx]

I did not vote for Spitzer, though I generally vote Democratic. I felt Spitzer was a hypocrite. He personally cost me almost $20K. I work for a subsidiary of one of the companies he targeted. The result was an almost 50% decline in the stock value and a nearly $20K drop in my 401K

He kept saying he was out to protect the average person, but the only tangible result was a hit against the stockholders.

Like this from Walter Olson at NRO?

If early reports are right, it’s not the Mann Act angle (arranging for the girl to cross state lines) that’s captured the attention of federal investigators so much as the money angle. In particular, the probers are said to be looking at what are known as “structuring” charges against Spitzer, based on the possibility that he subdivided or mislabeled cash transfers so as to evade bank reporting requirements or other scrutiny. Part of what makes these laws powerful is that prosecutors can obtain convictions without having to prove that illegal underlying transactions generated the money flow — though of course Spitzer can’t stake out even that ground for sympathy. Structuring offenses, which carry in this case a potential penalty of five years behind bars, are a relatively recent addition to the law, the main federal statute dating only to 1986. And — here’s the live-by-the-sword part — Congress enacted that law as part of the steady expansion of new powers accorded prosecutors to go after white-collar (as well as Drug War) defendants who it was feared would get off if prosecuted by traditional means. In other words, the structuring statute was part of the ever more ferocious treatment of business and economic offenses in American law that might be termed, after its best-known practitioner, Spitzerization.

That’s not the only irony that’s come back to haunt the guv. As prosecutor, part of Spitzer’s distinctively relentless style was to demand the decapitation of large organizations by the firing of their CEOs, even in the face of arguments that such steps presumptively punished the execs without a trial and might badly disrupt the enterprises they led. The arch example is Spitzer’s vendetta against Hank Greenberg of American International Group (AIG), without peer the most highly regarded executive in the insurance sector over the past half century. AIG, long known as three steps ahead of its industry and a huge asset to American business presence and prestige abroad, has now entered a tailspin without Greenberg, destroying billions and billions in value for shareholders and others, even as the charges against its former chieftain have mostly wilted on the vine. On a smaller but still significant scale, Spitzer forced Marsh, the biggest insurance broker, to oust its CEO, which it replaced with an old crony of Spitzer’s; that didn’t work out either, and further fortunes were lost.

Spitzer’s logic was that “imperial” CEOs — he did much to popularize the phrase — had come to feel they were above the law, and that all talk of forgiveness for momentary lapses in judgment, of deference to uniquely valuable skill sets, and even of basic old-fashioned due process for the accused, were but excuses proffered by these grasping moguls in hopes of holding onto their power and pelf indefinitely. One wonders whether Spitzer has come today to rethink those sentiments.

[ScottGem]

Like this from Walter Olson at NRO?

Bingo!!

[excon]

Hello again:

I don't know. I have this sinking feeling that we're paying too much attention to politician's crotches and not their policies. It's true, when things are slow, it's kind of fun talking dirty.

But, things ain't slow, and I'm afraid we're diddling while Rome is burning.

excon

PS> That's right. I don't care about Republican crotches either.

[speechlesstx]

Hello again:

I dunno. I have this sinking feeling that we're paying too much attention to politician’s crotches and not their policies. It's true, when things are slow, it's kinda fun talking dirty.

But, things ain't slow, and I'm afraid we're diddling while Rome is burning.

excon

PS> That's right. I don't care about Republican crotches either.

Ex,

Al Sharpton had the same problem seeing what the big deal is this morning. It ain't about the sex, it's about the unbelievable hypocrisy of a guy that has arrogantly positioned himself as the über-ethical white knight stamping out corruption. Mr Clean himself is not only hiring pricey prostitutes after prosecuting such rings, he has allegedly violated a federal law I'm sure he is intimately familiar with, "structuring" banking transactions to conceal their intent and avoid scrutiny.

Besides that, don't you find the exploitation of women in this manner - prostitution rings - a little disturbing?