[♥]

Whodathunk a prostitute would've brought down a Dem?



Oh, wait...

Spitzer Is Linked to Prostitution Ring
By DANNY HAKIM and WILLIAM K. RASHBAUM

ALBANY - 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.

An affidavit in the federal investigation into a prostitution ring said that a wiretap recording 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 hotel room. The person briefed on the case identified Mr. Spitzer as Client 9.

Mr. Spitzer today made a brief public appearance during which he apologized for his behavior, and described it as a “private matter.”

“I have acted in a way that violates my obligation to my family and violates my or any sense of right or wrong,” said Mr. Spitzer, who appeared with his wife Silda at his Manhattan office. “I apologize first and most importantly to my family. I apologize to the public to whom I promised better.”

“I have disappointed and failed to live up to the standard I expected of myself. I must now dedicate some time to regain the trust of my family.”

Before speaking, Mr. Spitzer stood with his arm around his wife; the two nodded and then strode forward together to face more than 100 reporters. Both had glassy, tear-filled eyes, but they did not cry.

The governor spoke for perhaps a minute and did not address his political future.

He declined to take questions and promised to report back soon. As he went to leave, three reporters screamed out, "Are you resigning? Are you resigning?", and Mr. Spitzer charged out of the room, slamming the door.

The governor learned that he had been implicated in the prostitution inquiry 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 the announcement for this afternoon after inquiries from The Times.

The governor’s aides appeared shaken before he spoke, and one of them began to weep as they waited for him to make his statement at his Manhattan office.

The man described as Client 9 in court papers arranged to meet with a prostitute who was part of the ring, Emperors Club VIP, on the night of Feb. 13. Mr. Spitzer traveled to Washington that evening, according to a person told of his travel arrangements.

The affidavit says that Client 9 met with the woman in hotel room 871 but does not identify the hotel. Mr. Spitzer stayed at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington on Feb. 13, according to a source who was told of his travel arrangements. Room 871 at the Mayflower Hotel that evening was registered under another name.

Federal prosecutors rarely charge clients in prostitution cases, which are generally seen as state crimes. But the Mann Act, passed by Congress in 1910 to address prostitution, human trafficking and what was viewed at the time as immorality in general, makes it a crime to transport someone between states for the purpose of prostitution. The four defendants charged in the case unsealed last week were all charged with that crime, along with several others.

Mr. Spitzer 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.

[Rumor]

You would think that someone with that kind of background would know how not to get caught.

[♥]

BINGO!

You have EXACTLY stated what I and others are thinking: Smart man with extensive background in law and in particular, prostitution, and he gets busted for the same?

It's really unbelievable. Even Tom Wolfe couldn't make this stuff up.

[ShortcutToMoncton]

Wait... it's unbelievable that someone gets busted for a crime in their "field?"

How is that unbelievable? Happens all the time.

greg

[turtle777]

Originally Posted by ShortcutToMoncton 

Wait... it's unbelievable that someone gets busted for a crime in their "field?"

His FIELD ? Was politics prostitution his field ?

Sounds more like a pasttime. He's an amateur who got caught, but should have known better.

-t

[Big Mac]

I think by field he was referring to field as a prosecutor.

[Mithras]

Well, I always enjoy watching a hypocrite go down, even if he was my governor and an (otherwise) decent guy.

EDIT: That was poorly phrased, eh?

[♥]

You're right about that ^^^ irrespective of political affiliation.

[ShortcutToMoncton]

Originally Posted by turtle777 

His FIELD ? Was politics prostitution his field ?

Did you just use a strikethrough on me?

[finboy]

Originally Posted by ♥ 

You're right about that ^^^ irrespective of political affiliation.

As Oddball would say:

<<Woof woof woof woof>>

What a FREAKING MORON. How stupid do you have to be to get caught up in something like that?

[♥]

What I'm not understanding is if the FBI was specifically targeting him or if he was just a casualty of them investigating a prostitution ring?

And, a part of me believes that he wanted to get caught...he had to know that he'd eventually get busted. He HAD to know...

More of his warped thinking: Why hasn't he resigned?

[Atomic Rooster]

Originally Posted by finboy 

What a FREAKING MORON. How stupid do you have to be to get caught up in something like that?

An edgit maybe but not a moron. You see those babes?

Morons do foot-tapping in public washrooms.

[Atomic Rooster]

Originally Posted by ShortcutToMoncton 

Wait... it's unbelievable that someone gets busted for a crime in their "field?"

How is that unbelievable? Happens all the time.

greg

Farmers are outstanding in their fields.

[turtle777]

Originally Posted by ShortcutToMoncton 

Did you just use a strikethrough on me?

no yes

-t

[lpkmckenna]

He should have killed her in a drunken car crash when he was done with her. That's what real Democrats do.

[peeb]

Why does this affect anything but his marriage?

[BRussell]

Well he does appear to have broken the law (as he should know). Hopefully the people in charge of prosecuting people for breaking the law don't break the law themselves. Whether it should be against the law is another story...

[peeb]

I think having people who have broken the law in benign ways prosecuting people would lead to a much more effective legal system. Perhaps you would have fewer lives ruined for no good reason.

[CRASH HARDDRIVE]

Originally Posted by turtle777 

His FIELD ? Was politics prostitution his field ?

Screwing people for money... aren't they the same thing?

[goMac]

Originally Posted by peeb 

Why does this affect anything but his marriage?

It's hypocritical and it affects his ability to campaign against prostitution.

At least the guy admits he was wrong and apologized, unlike some people : cough : Larry Craig : cough :

He can stay in his job, but I doubt he'll be elected another term. He should definitely have his superdelegate status stripped.

[nader2008]

this culture of scandel in both the Democratic and Republican parties is why folks need go go GREEN!

[osiris]

Who gives a flying fu*k? At least he was getting laid on a regular basis.

Now, about those wars and the lies that led to them...

[♥]

I give a flying fu*k. And I bet a lot of New Yorkers do.

I cared when Mark Foley did this (R). I cared when Larry Craig did what he did (R).

It's not so much about the party but about the politician and a lawyer and an attorney general breaking the very laws that he built his supposed reputation on.

[osiris]

Originally Posted by ♥ 

I give a flying fu*k. And I bet a lot of New Yorkers do.

I cared when Mark Foley did this (R). I cared when Larry Craig did what he did (R).

It's not so much about the party but about the politician and a lawyer and an attorney general breaking the very laws that he built his supposed reputation on.

I'm a native nyer. This is not important news.

[legacyb4]

Must be something akin to the playground and the classic "I dare you" mentality for these politicians; they somehow feel it's necessary to push the limits of the legal envelope and see what they can get away with. Either that or they are all dumber than we give them credit for.

[osiris]

I was going to edit, but chose not to.

Why is it not important you may ask?

Everyone is going apeshit over this, meanwhile the child idiot president and his wars and the war machine are sapping the money and soul out of this country. This little distraction is mental masturbation for the sex starved little pussies who are afraid to put that on the front page.

[peeb]

Originally Posted by goMac 

It affects his ability to campaign against prostitution.

But in a good way, right?
What amuses me is that all the media are describing it deliverately as a "'high class' prostitution ring".

[Dork.]

It's important because he was blatantly violating the law while in office, and he knew it. Whatever you think of this particular law, remember that his job as governor is to uphold the law, and his reputation was built as a prosecutor going after guys who break the law, just like him. There is no shade of grey here, no " it depends on your definition of the word 'is'." He broke the law, and knew he was breaking it. With his reputation shot, he can't do a damn thing in Albany. (Some would say he wasn't able to do a damn thing anyway, messed up as that town is.)

If anything, unless this is all just a big misunderstanding and there's some angle we don't know about, you will see him resign sooner rather than later, to get this mess off the front page. Would David Patterson get Spitzer's superdelegate vote?

[tie]

At $5000 an hour this seems like a victimless crime. But that isn't the point at all, and it looks like Spitzer is going to resign as he should. Oh well, he was a good attorney general.

[ShortcutToMoncton]

Wait, the prostitute was 5 grand an hour?!?!

greg

[finboy]

Originally Posted by peeb 

Why does this affect anything but his marriage?

Because he could be blackmailed with the right information/evidence. And because he's a public official and he broke the law.

[Chongo]

Originally Posted by ♥ 

I give a flying fu*k. And I bet a lot of New Yorkers do.

I cared when Mark Foley did this (R). I cared when Larry Craig did what he did (R).

It's not so much about the party but about the politician and a lawyer and an attorney general breaking the very laws that he built his supposed reputation on.

Originally Posted by osiris 

I'm a native nyer. This is not important news.

It's not important because he's a (D). If were Pataki you would be calling for his head on a platter. He will not resign and will force the state legislature to impeach him.

[BRussell]

Let's remember that neither David Vitter (R) nor Larry Craig (R) resigned ( but I still don't understand why tapping your foot in a bathroom is illegal anyway).

[Timo]

Originally Posted by finboy 

Because he could be blackmailed with the right information/evidence. And because he's a public official and he broke the law.

More than that: said call girl also was transported across state lines -- a Federal offense.

This dude's toast, and the textbook definition of HUBRIS.

[Dakar the Fourth]

This guy is a dumbass, he deserves what's coming to him.

[peeb]

Wow. If he transported her over state lines, then I'm convinced. Disgusting.

[Railroader]

Originally Posted by peeb 

Wow. If he transported her over state lines, then I'm convinced. Disgusting.

So, we only need to obey laws we think are appropriate?

[finboy]

Originally Posted by Railroader 

So, we only need to obey laws we think are appropriate?

Nah, it's the old argument about victimless crimes. I'd like to know how that argument fits with women's rights issues -- how many folks would argue that prostitutes can't be victims. Most of them are, of one kind or another, and I'd imagine that a young lady with incriminating knowledge about a governor is in danger.

Think of it this way: How does that young lady feel about herself today? How do her parents/grandparents feel? Do you want your wife/daughter/son whoring for a living? Why not? Would you do it? Why not?

There are no victimless crimes. That's why they're designated as crimes in the first place. Whether they support some kind of criminal infrastructure, or they create victims with injuries that we can't see.

[peeb]

In any economic transaction one side can come to see themselves as a victim or feel exploited. Wage labor of any kind can feel degrading. So long as this woman went into the transaction voluntarily and was not coerced or threatened, I don't see how she was victimized, except perhaps by unjust laws.

[Railroader]

Does that mean "yes" peeb?

[lpkmckenna]

Originally Posted by finboy 

There are no victimless crimes.

Blasphemy comes to mind. Oh, and prostitution.

[Shaddim]

Originally Posted by osiris 

Who gives a flying fu*k? At least he was getting laid on a regular basis.

I do too, but I've never paid for it (much less paid $5000). This guy should be kicked out of office, if for no other reason than he was too stupid to realize that he could get the same thing from the average escort service for $500.

Hell, he's a powerful politician, why didn't he just dip his Cohiba in the free stuff, like Clinton?

[peeb]

Yeah, that worked out real well...

[macintologist]

All politicians whore themselves out when they take $4600 donations in exchange for "services" rendered in form of political influence.

[peeb]

Exactly - how is that less degrading than sex work? How does that man feel about himself today? How do his parents/grandparents feel? Do you want your wife/daughter/son being a politician for a living?

[nader2008]

pics of the sex workers yet? I wanna see

[Chongo]

Originally Posted by BRussell 

Let's remember that neither David Vitter (R) nor Larry Craig (R) resigned ( but I still don't understand why tapping your foot in a bathroom is illegal anyway).

Vitter and Craig seem to be exceptions, where the other (R) resigned. Barney Frank's boyfriend ran a male prostitution from his DC home, and is still in congress. Gerry Studds (D) had a relationship with a 17 year old male house page and did not resign, and was re-elected, Dan Crane (R) also admitted to have a relationship with a 17 year old female house page, did not resign, but was not re-elected. (16 is the age of consent in DC)

As far as transporting a females across state lines, that has been a federal offense since 1910:Mann Act - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Chongo]

Originally Posted by nader2008 

pics of the sex workers yet? I wanna see

close as I know to pics
Online Hooker Ring Busted - March 6, 2008

[♥]

I want to know what the heck you get from a hooker for $5000 an HOUR?

[subego]

Discretion?