Posts with the tag 'Eliot Spitzer'
I thought it odd that a mere sex scandal would force a Democrat out of office - didn’t do the trick for Bill Clinton, Barney Frank or Gerry Studds, after all. Spitzer could have done the usual - for Democrats - song and dance about how its a private matter between him and his wife, yadda, yadda, yadda and figure that it’d be old news by the time he ran for re-election in 2010 (naturally counting on “how he’s grown since the scandal” stories from the MSM along the way…). But, he’s out - and out rather quickly. In writing Caucus of Corruption, Matt and I discovered that there is only one thing which will convince Democrats to force one of their own out of office - a risk to the power of the Democratic party as a whole. In the Spitzer sex scandal, there was no immediately apparant risk to Democratic power - but, as it turns out, there was something behind the scenes:
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — A prosecutor said Friday that former Gov. Eliot Spitzer may have lied when he told investigators he wasn’t deeply involved in a plot that used a Republican rival’s travel records in an effort to embarrass him. He added that Spitzer could have been indicted had he not resigned in disgrace in a prostitution scandal.
Albany County District Attorney P. David Soares said in a report that Spitzer’s former communications director, Darren Dopp, recounted conversations and e-mails that indicated Spitzer directly ordered him in a profanity-laced exchange to give a reporter records regarding Senate Republican leader Joseph Bruno’s use of state aircraft on days he attended Republican fundraisers.
Dopp was provided immunity for his testimony in Soares’ second investigation of the 2007 scandal. Dopp had faced a possible perjury charge because a statement released by the Spitzer administration about the scandal differed from his own testimony, but Soares found Friday that he did not commit perjury.
“If Dopp’s testimony is credited,” Soares’ report states, “then former Governor Spitzer’s answers were not truthful. Accordingly, we intended to present these conflicting accounts to a grand jury.”
But Spitzer’s resignation this month, after he was implicated in an investigation of a prostitution ring, made it impossible to file a charge against him because it meant he was no longer a public employee, the report said.
Spitzer, like Soares a Democrat, never testified under oath in the travel-records scandal. Instead, he was bound by a statute that required public officials to answer questions truthfully or face a charge of obstructing justice.
As an aside, that is a really rather clever law I’d like to see here in Nevada - essentially make it a felony for a politician to lie.
Sex scandal? Big deal. Potential indictment which might blow the lid off of Democratic corruption in New York State, thus dragging down the whole party in an election year? Well, Spitzer had to go. The really terrible truth about the Democratic Party is that it acts like a Mafia organization - anything goes, as long as you pay homage to the Dons (in the Democrats’ case, this would be the public employee unions, the Culture of Death and the kook left)…with, of course, the proviso that if you become someone likely to harm the “family”, you might have to be pole-axed. Spitzer’s whoring was no problem and, indeed, even his breaking of New York law wasn’t a problem, per se…but risking the power and position of the Democratic party? He might as well have tried to rat out Al Capone as do that…
Tags: Caucus of Corruption, Eliot Spitzer
March 30th, 2008
Looks like the state of New York can never catch a break. With the slimy Spitzer just barely out of office we learn this about the newly inaugurated governor of the Empire State.
The thunderous applause was still ringing in his ears when the state’s new governor, David Paterson, told the Daily News that he and his wife had extramarital affairs.
In a stunning revelation, both Paterson, 53, and his wife, Michelle, 46, acknowledged in a joint interview they each had intimate relationships with others during a rocky period in their marriage several years ago.
In the course of several interviews in the past few days, Paterson said he maintained a relationship for two or three years with “a woman other than my wife,” beginning in 1999.
As part of that relationship, Paterson said, he and the other woman sometimes stayed at an upper West Side hotel — the Days Inn at Broadway and W. 94th St.
That’s not even the worst part of it:
Gov. Paterson denies using state or campaign money to pay for liaisons with another woman during a rocky patch in his marriage.
Records show that in September 2001, then-Sen. Paterson’s campaign spent $456.46 for two nights at what was then called the Quality Hotel at 215 W. 94th St.
One check was dated Sept. 10 — the day before the 9/11 attacks — and the other Sept. 24. Both are listed as “office” expenses.
In an earlier interview with the Daily News, Paterson mentioned that his campaign paid for a staffer to stay at the hotel around the time of 9/11.
He said he did not remember the exact dates, but he acknowledged putting up one staffer there the day of the attack and another the day before the Democratic primary, which was Sept. 25, 2001.
Who knows if there’s anything to those allegations or not, but regardless, this is hardly the kind of news New Yorkers want to hear after the Spitzer Scandal.
Tags: David Paterson, Eliot Spitzer, sex scandal
March 17th, 2008
New York Governor Eliot Spitzer will be giving a statement at 11:30 a.m. ET. I’m hearing that the resignation will take effect on Monday. There is a lot of speculation about a possible deal with prosecutors in return for his resignation…
The hypocrisy of this whole situation is astounding. The sex aspect is nothing in the big picture:
As attorney general, he once broke up a call-girl ring and locked up 18 people on corruption, money-laundering and prostitution charges. He ruthlessly investigated the pay packages of Wall Street executives and was so familiar with shady financial maneuvers that he rose to become the top racketeering prosecutor in Manhattan.
But in the end, it appears that Spitzer may have been done in by the same behavior he built a career out of prosecuting.
In fact, it seems he was tripped up by some of the very financial accounting methods he used so successfully against multibillion-dollar Wall Street firms.
For one thing, the governor initially drew the attention of federal investigators because of cash payments to an account operated by a call-girl ring, according to a law enforcement official who spoke on condition of because of the sensitivity of the case.
Banks are required to file Suspicious Activity Reports to the government whenever they observe something they fear may be a crime.
In court papers, Client 9—identified by another law enforcement official as Spitzer—hurried to get more than $4,000 in cash to pay a call girl at a Washington hotel.
That kind of activity, repeated over time, is just the kind of thing that would set off alarm bells with a bank’s compliance officer, who is trained to be on the lookout for what is called structuring or “smurfing”—a pattern of transactions aimed at hiding the nature or purpose of certain money.
There is a lot more to this story, particularly since, as Rep. Peter King has noted, the link between prostitution rings and organized crime:
At least a dozen New York members either didn’t return calls or gave variations on “no comment” or “we’re monitoring the situation” when Capitol Briefing asked for a reaction. One of the few exceptions so far was the always media-friendly Rep. Peter King (R), who passed along his thoughts right before sitting down for a CNBC interview on the subject.
“I was absolutely shellshocked,” King said of the Spitzer news. “I’ve never heard any rumors, any whispers, anything at all.”
King added that he believed Spitzer should resign, since “prostitution rings are invariably linked to organized crime” and the governor’s behavior “leaves himself and the state susceptible to blackmail.”
The question remains what is the ultimate fate of Spitzer? Will he avoid prosecution and jail time?
UPDATE 11:45 am.: Spitzer resigns with his wife at his side.
UPDATE: Robert Stacy McCain hits the nail on the head:
In many ways, Spitzer’s resignation statement was classy, and notably lacked the kind of “accuse the accusers” tactic that Bill Clinton taught us to expect from Democrats caught red-handed.
However, Spitzer’s repeated use of the phrase “my private failings” was a dishonest evasion. What would Spitzer, as a former prosecutor, say about an accused dope dealer who spoke of his crime as a “private failing”?
In patronizing prostitutes, Spitzer was engaged in a criminal act. Crime is an offense against the citizenry, which is why the prosecution of Spitzer for federal money laundering charges — if such a prosecution is indeed pursued — will be called “United States vs. Spitzer.” And no crime can be more public than a crime committed by a powerful public official, such as the governor of New York.
Tags: Corruption, Eliot Spitzer, Rep. Peter King, scandal
March 12th, 2008
Well, as anyone who hasn’t been living under a rock knows by now, New York’s Democratic governor Eliot Spitzer finally got a taste of his own medicine. At first, I really wasn’t going to post on this, thinking that it’s New York’s problem with which to deal; but what I really found noteworthy in terms of national politics is the relative silence of a national candidate for POTUS, namely one Hillary Rodham Clinton.
Herself a longstanding party on the receiving end of marital infidelity, Hillary could have done herself and the women’s movement a lot of good by coming out full bore at the outset of this scandal by decrying Spitzer’s actions.
But once again, as was the case of her reactions (or lack thereof) to the multiple indiscretions perpetrated by her husband, Hillary remains silent. And for the same reason. Knowing full well that a divorce from Bill Clinton would be a divorce from her ever gaining the power she so desired; Hillary is no doubt likewise conflicted regarding the severing of ties to Eliot Spitzer.
For Spitzer, aside from being a scumbag, is also a democrat Super Delegate. Committed to voting for Hillary.
And truth be told, the Clintons, being the quintessential Machiavellians that they are, have never been ones to allow nefarious backgrounds to get in the way of their stated objectives.
So if the causes of feminism, and of women being treated as objects once again have to take a back seat to Hillary’s presidential aspirations, so be it.
The end, after all, justifies the means.
UPDATES, by Matt Margolis: Spitzer to resign tomorrow?
Gov. Eliot Spitzer is set to resign Wednesday, sources tell CBS 2 HD political reporter Marcia Kramer, but insiders say he’s going to use the resignation as a bargaining chip to cut a deal with federal prosecutors and he won’t step down until that happens. The talks have been going on since Tuesday morning.
The governor’s fate rests in the hands of two people: U.S. Attorney Michael Garcia and Michele Hirshman, the head of his legal defense team. The deal they cut will determine Spitzer’s future.
Criminal law experts say Spitzer will definitely have to resign the governorship and that what’s involved in the deal is key.
The Associated Press reports “Spitzer’s running tab for the trysts could have been as high as $80,000.”
Robert Stacy McCain has more…
Tags: Bill Clinton, Eliot Spitzer, Hillary Clinton
March 11th, 2008
And this guys platform was all about routing out corruption..
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.
He may resign this evening.
UPDATE: While I am commuting back home on the train I would like to add that considering the dark ethical cloud hanging over Spitzer’s office since he became governor — his office was the subject of multiple investigations — it is somewhat unfortunate that this alone is what people will remember about his downfall.
UPDATE: Video of Spitzer apologizing…
UPDATE, by Mark Noonan: Spitzer’s prospective replacement - Lt. Governor David Patterson, formerly NY Senate Minority Leader - also has an issue to deal with:
A US District Court judge has rejected the Senate Democrats’ effort to block a discrimination lawsuit filed by a white photographer who claims he was fired by former Minority Leader David Paterson only because he wasn’t black.
The ruling, first reported by the New York Law Journal (subscription only), makes for some interesting reading.
Paterson, now the lieutenant governor, asserted he axed the photographer, Joseph Maioriello, because he was a holdover from former Minortiy Leader Marty Connor’s regime. Paterson said he was unsure where Maioriello’s loyalties lay and was worried that Connor, whom he ousted in 2002, and others were “plotting” to re-gain control of the Democratic caucus.
Maioriello was replaced by an African-American photographer, El-Wise Noisette, who last worked for former state Comptroller H. Carl McCall (the first black gubernatorial candidate who lost his challenge to Republican Gov. George Pataki in 2002).
But Paterson insisted he had no idea about the race of either man due to the fact that he is legally blind.
“Given my visual impairment, I did not know for certain the race of either the plaintiff or Noisette,” Paterson stated in his deposition.
There’s just too many jokes to say about this…I’ll hold fire.
UPDATE, by Mark Noonan: Kossacks, naturally, blame President Bush:
If Spitzer has a taste for call girls, I won’t defend that… Neither am I prone to jump on it and go to town. I’m strictly of the Larry Flynt camp…Let it all out, and let the hypocrites wither in the light of day.
But I have a very discerning internal alarm. and that alarm tells me that this story only hit the news because the NSA, or the FBI…was snooping on this guy because he is so on the record as a trust buster and corporate cop.
Mark my words…this has the Bush Administration’s fingerprints all over it…and if the MSM digs a little deeper, they will find what Congress is afraid to look for…evidence that Bush’s wiretap program has less to do with terrorists than it has to do with political foes.
UPDATE: As the New York Times notes, this is a federal crime…
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.
UPDATE: Impeachment threat if he doesn’t resign…
Tags: Corruption, Eliot Spitzer, impeachment
March 11th, 2008
So, the plan that caused Hillary to fumble during her disastrous debate performance is now dead.
New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer on Wednesday dropped a controversial plan to issue driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants because of overwhelming opposition to the policy.
“I’ve concluded that New York state cannot conduct this program on its own,” Spitzer said at a Capitol Hill news conference. “It does not take a stethoscope to hear the pulse of New Yorkers on this topic.”
Spitzer’s plan sparked a national debate over the extension of certain privileges to illegal immigrants and haunted Democratic presidential front-runner New York Sen. Hillary Clinton on the campaign trail.
I bet Hillary is wishing this had happened a month earlier.
Tags: Eliot Spitzer, Hillary Clinton, illegal immigration
November 14th, 2007
