New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer Tied to Prostitution Ring
Caught with the help of federal wiretaps and now referred to as "Client 9" of the Emperors Club VIP, Mr. Spitzer has been recorded when setting up a tryst with a New York prostitute that later on took place in room 871 at a Washington hotel (possibly the Mayflower) on the eve of Valentine's Day. Offering a dry-eyed apology with a clearly shell-shocked wife by his side, the public is learning that the need to act was precipitated by the heads up of a federal official who contacted Mr. Spitzer's office on 03-07-08 to disclose the information that was garnered.
Of course, sex scandals and politicians go together like peanut butter and jelly, Simon and Garfunkel, or Siegfried and Roy. Some politicians are thrust into the limelight when their exploits see the light of day - like Arlington, Oregon, Mayor Carmen Kontur-Gronquist who modeled a black bra and panties on a fire engine and then posted pictures on MySpace - while others are already in the public eye and thus find that these revelations are taking on a much more serious turn.
Take for example Bill Clinton, former President and current First Sir hopeful, whose extramarital exploits were the fodder of yellow journalism for years. While all eyes were peeled on the well known Lewinsky scandal, it was the disgraceful behavior with Paula Jones and subsequent payoff that sent the wires humming and would eventually become known as Trooper-Gate.
Lacking President Clinton's Teflon personality, presidential hopeful Gary Hart learned the hard way in 1987 that tangling with the press is a surefire way of getting dirt dug up you don't need. After daring reporters to go after him, it only took one day for the Miami Herald to break the story of a beautiful, young Donna Rice exiting Mr. Hart's residence and the media attention snowballed from there, leaving him, according to the New York Times, bitter and disillusioned.
Combining sex scandal, politics and entertainment is no easy feat, but for former Cincinnati mayor Jerry Springer it is a way of making a living. Being found out was a matter of supreme lack of judgment in that Mr. Springer rewarded the services of a "lady of the night" with a written check drawn on his account. With the quintessential paper trail being impossible to deny, he took the route of honesty and admitted to his escapades, which actually forced him to resign but permitted him to be reelected a short time later!
It is hard to tell where Mr. Spitzer will go from here. Refusing to entertain questions about a possible resignation, yet rubbing many the wrong way by offering his admission only in light of the fact that he was found out and the story about to go public, supporters are quick to claim that his personal life should have no bearing on his public performance. Opponents on the other hand are sure that his willful violation of the Mann Act is the sign of a corrupt politician who cannot be trusted to play by the rules of the people of the State of New York.
Sources:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/10/nyregion/10cnd-spitzer.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/525653/arlington_oregon_mayor_carmen_konturgronquist.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/pjones/docs/jonesdec031398.htm
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DEFD91331F935A25754C0A961948260
http://www.slate.com/id/1857/
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12 Comments
Post a CommentSpitzer out today: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/653039/news_in_brief_ny_gov_spitzer_to_resign.html
Thomas, I am sorry to disagree with you but it is you who are lacking the facts. First and foremost, I did not accuse Mr. Hart of any crime but instead used his affair to showcase the hubris of a politician who thought himself "press proof." Additionally, please note that it was the Miami Herald that broke the story, not the New York Times; the latter ran a follow up story a number of years later comparing him to other politicians. For a complete accounting of how the story made it to press, please take a look at http://www.unc.edu/~pmeyer/Hart/hartarticle.html.
Ardeth, I hear what you're saying. As the story is progressing, it is coming to light that Mr. Spitzer was investigated not for his involvement with a hooker but instead for his money transfer practices that involved using a false name (that of a close friend or contributor). Having a prostitute cross state lines is another bit of a problem that he will need to deal with. It appears that he had been using the escort service for about a year already and nobody made a big deal about the sex part of it. Additionally, while it may not really matter who a politician sleeps with, when he is the person who in the past has prosecuted prostitution rings, it becomes a bit of a dicey issue and thus he kind of opened himself up for the kinds of comments and disclosure that are currently making the rounds on TV and in the press.
Your reference to Sen. Hart is, at best, a cheap shot. First, he was not accused of any crime and nothing was ever proved. Second, you have your facts wrong. The unprecedented media invasion of his privacy occurred before the New York Times article to which you refer, not "one day" after. He and his only wife have been married almost fifty years. Isn't it time to leave them alone.
Morally reprehensible behavior, perhaps, depending on one's point of view, but not a matter for law enforcement in a sane society. Sexual buffoonery and politicians indeed seem to be inseparable, but in europe people seem to expect, accept, and ignore this kind of thing. Don't we have more important things to worry about? I'm sure that the FBI does.
Idiot, if he would have went to Nevada he could have had a prostitute orgy. LEGALLY!
I'm neither a supporter nor an opponent of the guy, but who cares who he sleeps with? Or who any politician sleeps with, for that matter? That's their business! If they do a good job in the office they occupy, that's all that should matter. If they don't, then they should be voted out. Period. But their sex lives are their own business. This country is so puritanical. It wouldn't even make the news if it had to do with a European politician.
I think that he is a disgrace....NY has had some pretty crooked politicians before, but I think Spitzer should resign...I wouldn't be surprised if the Clinton camp asks him to since he is a huge supporter of Ms. Clinton, and he has publically endorsed her campaign. Im a registered Democrat in NY, and I got a phone call (taped, of course) from Gov. Spitzer, asking me to vote for Ms Clinton. I would think that she would want to avoid any connection to him...any hint of a scandal could ultimately hurt her chances of being nominated in the primary. That's just my take, anyway. Good article.
If you or anyone want to read the actual complaint filed with the justice dept you can click on my accompanying picture to this comment and then the article I posted about this shocking news, and in the comments section I posted the address of the actual pdf. file where you can read it. Page 34 is where "Client 9" starts.
Nicely written. Excellent photo choice.