Tag: Eliot Spitzer (page 2)

Will Eliot Spitzer resign? I think he will tomorrow.

Should he?

Here's a thread to discuss the political aspects of today's Spitzer revelations.

And, will he keep his superdelegate status at the Democratic convention?

First Spitzer thread here.

CNN just reported Gov. Eliot Spitzer is under federal criminal investigation and that he is, indeed, customer "9" in the 55 page affidavit in support of search and arrest warrants in the case of U.S. v. Mark Brener, et. al.

Spitzer was at a hotel in Washington, D.C. and allegedly asked Tameka "Rachelle" Lewis to send someone from NY to D.C. to his room at the Mayflower.

Go to page 34. There's a lot of detail. Paragraph 85 may be key.

It's clear from the document that Customer #9 was a repeat customer and that he intended to use them again in the future. Read pages 34 to 39. They discuss his having a credit balance and whether he can leave more than he owes for future visits.

Also, when Tameka, aka Rochelle, told #9 it would be "Kristen", # 9 was very pleased. ("Great, ok, wonderful" he said." Par. 80.)

Update: I sincerely doubt Spitzer will be charged with a crime. He probably will have to cooperate with the feds in the prosecution of the members of the prostitution ring. Did Spitzer commit a violation of the Mann Act, 18 USC 2422?

Whoever knowingly persuades, induces, entices, or coerces any individual to travel in interstate or foreign commerce, or in any Territory or Possession of the United States, to engage in prostitution, or in any sexual activity for which any person can be charged with a criminal offense, or attempts to do so, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 20 years, or both.

Spitzer's statement today is here.

New York Governor Eliot Spitzer is about to hold a press conference. He advised his aides earlier he's been linked to a prostitution ring.

Update: Jeffrey Toobin went to law school with Spitzer and is telling CNN now on the phone he was always such a straight arrow. As Attorney General, he was always a "moralist." I have to agree. I used to debate Spitzer on tv before he was Attorney General and met him several times. He's the least likely person I can imagine being involved in this. I never liked his position on crime, but I liked him and am sorry to see this.

We're all waiting for the press conference. It's still not happening. CNN says he was a customer of the ring. This was an IRS investigation, would he really have used a credit card and left a paper trail? Or did his name just show up in records? Stay tuned, I'll try to live-blog the press conference if it happens.

Update: Press Conference: His wife is by his side. He didn't resign, he apologized to his family and the public and said he would be taking some time to regain the trust of his family. Very short, no details. He said politics is not about individuals, it's about ideas. He said he'll be reporting back. He said he acted in a way that violates the obligation to his family and his sense of right and wrong. No questions.

More on the prostitution ring below:

I've finally found something I agree with New York Governor Eliot Spitzer about. Keeping a campaign promise, he will be introducing a bill to legalize gay marriage.

“The governor made a commitment to advance a program bill, and he will fulfill that commitment during this legislative session,” Ms. Anderson said, using the term that refers to legislation introduced directly by the governor rather than through a state agency or by the Legislature.

Is it all for show? He didn't include it in his legislative prioritybudget for the year.

Explaining why he did not include the gay-marriage bill among his post-budget legislative priorities, Mr. Spitzer said last week that he “was listing bills that I think we can and should get passed by the Legislature in the next few weeks. And so I am focusing now on politics as the art of the possible. “I think most who are close to the issue would agree with me that it’s not likely to be passed in the next nine and a half weeks,” Mr. Spitzer added.

Is he just going through the motions? Does that count? When is he going to introduce a bill to repeal the odious and draconian Rockefeller sentencing laws?

At midnight in Albany last night, Eliot Spitzer was sworn in as Governor of New York.

"Day one has begun," Spitzer said to a resounding cheer after being sworn in. "It is a joy to be here. It will be exciting. I will do my best as the public has asked me to do."

Also sworn in was Andrew Cuomo -- as state Attorney General -- the position Spitzer had before the election.

Gov. Pataki, Spitzer's predecessor, tried but failed to implement significant reform to the state's draconian Rockefeller law for drug offenders. Spitzer needs to make real reform or repeal of the law one of his top priorities.

As a commentator in the Albany Times Union wrote last month: