10 March 2008

Spitzer admits to dealings with prostitutes

UPDATE: Nope, no resignation yet.

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UPDATE: Spitzer to resign? Thus saith FOXNews:
New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer apologized to his family in an appearance before reporters Monday following reports that he was linked to a high profile prostitution ring.

Spitzer has been indicted in the Southern District of New York in connection to a high-profile prostitution ring and is expected to resign, sources told FOX News.

"I must now dedicate some time to regain the trust of my family," Spitzer said.

Spitzer scheduled the abrupt announcement from his office as news reports were breaking that the governor told staffers about his involvement in the prostitution ring.
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Eliot Spitzer, the increasingly unpopular governor of New York State, has admitted to being involved in a prostitution ring (via New York Slimes):
Danny Hakim of The Times, citing an administration official, is reporting that Gov. Eliot Spitzer has informed his most senior administration officials that he had been involved in a prostitution ring. The governor is expected to make a statement this afternoon at his Manhattan office.

[...]

Mr. Spitzer, a Democrat, came into office as New York’s 58th governor promising a fresh start in Albany and sweeping ethics reforms, but his first year in office was, by all accounts, tumultuous. His administration was marred by his aides’ use of State Police records to try to discredit the State Senate majority leader, Joseph L. Bruno. The governor clashed with his members of his own party in the State Assembly over the choice of a new state comptroller and was forced to withdraw a proposal to grant drivers licenses to illegal immigrants after it attracted widespread criticism.

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 [pdf]. 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.

Surprisingly, the Slimes actually mentions Spitzer's party affiliation, an uncommon move on their part when a Democrat is involved. This was a man who promised to end corruption, and bring in a new era of law and order, and blah blah blah. More lies and broken promises from a NYC Democrat. This doesn't surprise me, though. I lived in Upstate New York until I was 29. All of my tax dollars went downstate because that's where all of Cuomo's people lived. Meanwhile, the rest of the state got shafted.

Spitzer isn't any different. He's a shill for NYC (This, of course, being the city that keeps putting Charlie "I support our dumb, stoopid troops" Rangel). I'm shocked--shocked!--that a NYC Democrat is involved in criminal activity!