Via the NYT: Spitzer Aides Say Governor Will Resign This Morning
Mr. Spitzer is scheduled to speak today at 11:30 a.m. at his Manhattan office, and the resignation is to be effective Monday, aides to the governor said.
The piece makes it clear that if he doesn’t resign, that he will be impeached and likely would be removed by the state senate.
It is also becoming clear that he February 13th “date” with “Kristen” at the Mayflower Hotel in DC was not the first time he had engaged in such activities. Via ABC News (ABC News: Spitzer Escort: Governor Was a Nice Guy, Good Tipper):
A 22-year-old escort found on another call-girl Web site claimed to ABC News in a phone interview that Gov. Eliot Spitzer had been one of her customers two years ago when he was New York attorney general and that he was a nice guy who tipped well.
[...]
Federal investigators say there is no evidence Spitzer used state money or campaign funds to pay the prostitutes, but that the way he moved an estimated $40,000 through various accounts violated federal money laundering laws.
The NY Post reports that Spitzer had been hiring prostitutes for at least 10 years.
I think that Spitzer’s main problem, aside from the obvious illegality, is that he clearly built his career and reputation on the notion that he was an avenging angel of the law sent to clean up New York, and that he did so with a Sword of Righteousness and the Very Words of Truth on his lips. To find that he had been breaking laws that he himself had vigorously prosecuted is problematic and worthy of resignation.
Understand, my position is not born of indignation about his sexual dalliances. While I consider his behavior immoral, I really don’t believe that what he did should be illegal, insofar as I see no difference between what he did and having an affair with a younger woman willing to bed him in exchange for the gifts he might buy her. Really, it is about consenting adults and the choices they make, which is the same position I articulated when the DC Madam story broke about a year ago.1
Update: It’s official (via CNN): Spitzer to step down by Monday:
Gov. Eliot Spitzer said Wednesday that he will step down from the state’s top office, saying he cannot allow his “private failings to disrupt the public’s work.”Sphere: Related Content
- Indeed, a throw-away line about the illegality issues in this post led to a lengthy comment thread. [↩]
March 12th, 2008 at 5:10 pm
I wonder how this will impact the democratic presidential nomination, as Spitzer was a superdelegate who had been planning to cast his ballot for Hillary Clinton (or at least that is what he made public.)
I’m assuming that the Lt. Gov will take Spitzer’s place at the convention and wonder what side of the fence he lives on.
March 12th, 2008 at 7:52 pm
King Spitzer gave up the throne over a few pieces of commercial pussies. I am sure it felt great at the time, but sure was expensive, then and now.
March 12th, 2008 at 7:57 pm
In California, and Texas, to legalize the prostitution, you just film your sex with the whore, edit it and prepare for distribution as a porn production, even though you may end up never distribute it. Isn’t that interesting? People do it all the time.
March 12th, 2008 at 8:35 pm
I find it interesting that an apparently obscure bank felt compelled to report “suspicious transactions” (by what standard?) to the government. Originally, I’d assumed that Spitzer had been misappropriating public funds for this foolishness, which would make a government investigation reasonable.
It’s a set-up, pure and simple; expose a white knight of the opposition party as a moral reprobate. I don’t give a damn if the man is addicted to high-priced hookers on his own nickel. Unfortunately, too many dimwits on the right will take this as a sign of moral degeneracy (even though one of their own stars was busted trying to have gay sex in a men’s room…boy, how quickly we forget. At least he wasn’t trying to pay for it, I guess…)
March 12th, 2008 at 10:33 pm
“I have nothing but contempt for the kind of governor who is afraid, for whatever reason, to follow the course that he knows is best for the State; and as for the man who sets private friendship above the public welfare - I have no use for him either…”
-Sophocles’ “Antigone” -
March 12th, 2008 at 11:49 pm
I feel really bad for spitzer…
I’m in no way thinking what he did is right (no matter how hot the “others” are), but who among here isn’t guilty of a bad deed or two? Granted he’s a public figure and should have been more careful but as a guy who’ve been through a shit load of trouble, I must say I feel darn lucky I’m far from being popular.
Didn’t he think about the risks? No more than a cigarette smoker thinks of getting lung cancer, probably. That’s how we all are in our weakest and lowest points… Some just get caught with their pants down, some don’t.
What’s more disturbing for me in cases like these though is the way the general public enjoys the downfall of promising and (pre-scandal) admired individuals. For most of us, seeing someone fall from a place we wished we were in is quite pleasing. Is it right? I dunno. Is it wrong? No idea.
More good points were raised about this in here:
http://www.selfhypnosis.com/blog/?p=5
March 13th, 2008 at 12:35 am
Spitzer has to be one of the biggest morons in the history of politics!
He is a complete idiot, and a liar.
A two-faced tough talker who thought he was the law.
He pointed his finger, and all the while he did worse than those he pointed his finger at.
He must answer to the people, and explain himself.
I just hope that he did not spend tax payer money on his “fun” times.
I am,
George Vreeland Hill
March 13th, 2008 at 5:39 am
Vicious behavior. Resignation is appropriate.
Every one is giving scenarios on why the governor of New York cheated on his wife. Here is mine. This outstanding man seems to be above reproach. His wife takes him for granted and holds back her affection from him. Maybe because she feels she is much more talented than being the governors wife. Who knows? To shows his wife he isn’t above reproach he destroys all that he have worked for. Then “poisoning the well” further, he has unprotected sex as if to say if I get it you get it. Far fetch. Think about.
March 13th, 2008 at 7:35 am
So McCain uses his home town girls from ” Kitty’s Klub” in Phoenix, AZ for years usually asking for Krystal age 19 she was his regular. Most of the time he would arrange for two to three gals from age 19 to 20 NO Older and wanted dark skin gals. Yet he does not get busted why ? Yet other’s do ? is it because he has connections in the Justice Dept. ?
March 13th, 2008 at 7:59 am
So, I guess i’m alittle confused. What business does this have with anyone. So he lied about what he believes when he’s campaigning and what he does in real life. If he was paying with government money then yes, it is in the publics best interest. But when has it become the law to interfere in anyones life beyond the office?
March 13th, 2008 at 8:22 am
WHY MR. SPITZER SHOULD NOT GET ALL THE BLAME!
One way to fight prostitution and especially teenage ones could be to start making prostitutes pay the Johns (patrons/customers), instead of the Johns paying them!!! If arrested they should be given long sentences in the slammer. For a 22 yr old goofy girl to bring down one of America’s toughest political titans and legal eagle is not a joke, buddy. I am furious. Heads should roll…..a solution must be found to prevent this from continuing to happen! Women can control their sexuality because it flows inside but men cannot because theirs flow outside. So men have no choice sometimes but to sleep around! Having one girlfriend or wife and sleeping with her is like eating the same food and drinking the same soda daily. How long are you going to do that before you lose appetite?
Therefore, Mr. Spitzer should not get all the blame.
When you get bored with sleeping with your wife, what do you do? Divorce her???? Besides most wives and girlfriends will not perform some sexual acts that their husbands and boyfriends might desire. I admit he violated public trust, destroyed his political career and disgraced his family, especially his wife and children, but that man was a hard working man, who did a lot of good and so he deserves to be given a benefit of doubt since he has apologized and resigned.
March 13th, 2008 at 6:42 pm
In reference to #10 - it is illegal to solicity prostitution. Whether or not it should be illegal is something we can debate, but the fact that in New York it currently is illegal is not. That’s just a fact.
If a public figure’s personal life is morally questionable but legally clean, I think it’s fair to tell the public to back off, and ask the question of what it has to do with the ability to govern. But when the morally questionable actions are also criminal in nature, the figure needs to be held accountable.
If I went out looking for a prostitute right now and was unlucky enough to solicit an undercover cop, I would go to jail, because solicitation of prostitution just about everywhere but some counties in Nevada is illegal. A lot of employers would fire me. There would be repercussions throughout my life because it is a crime.
The attempts to frame this simply as an issue of the man’s personal life being assaulted unfairly seem to neglect the fact that what Spitzer did was not just morally questionable, it was a bona fide crime, not just a sleazy affair.
It is only fair and just to hold Spitzer accountable for his criminal conduct, as I or anyone else would be held accountable.