Spitzer Resigns Over Sex Ring Ties

Eliot Spitzer's tumultuous tumble from the zenith of a promising political career to the nadir of a shocking sex scandal came as no surprise Wednesday as the bright, bull-headed governor announced his resignation, effective Monday, under pressure from state lawmakers and the public.

Wife Silda again by his side, he faced the cameras and press with apologies, but did not specify for what.

Watch the speech or read the transcript:

"I look at my time as governor with a sense of what might have been," Spitzer said, with his expressionless wife Silda standing at his side. "There is much more to be done, and I cannot allow my private failings to disrupt the people's work."

Lt. Gov. David Paterson will become the 55th governor of New York and the state's first black governor.

"I am deeply sorry that I did not live up to what was expected of me," he said.

More details today about Spitzer's use of prostitutes and bank activity that triggered his downfall.

More from the New York Times:

In the two days since news of Mr. Spitzer's involvement in the prostitution ring surfaced, he has been engaged in an intense legal and family debate about whether to resign or, as aides said his wife was urging, to stay on.

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Mr. Spitzer, who had been holed up at his apartment at Fifth Avenue and 79th Street in Manhattan since issuing an apology on Tuesday, emerged at about 11:15 a.m. Wednesday with his wife by his side and got into a black S.U.V. [watch], which headed for his headquarters on Third Avenue as news helicopters followed above.

On Tuesday, as Mr. Spitzer, a first-term Democrat, contemplated his next move, the New York political world remained in a suspended state, with cries -- even from fellow Democrats -- growing louder for him to step down.

In one of the last and desperate rounds of the end game, a top Spitzer administration official reached out to Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver's staff on Tuesday to see if the governor could avoid an impeachment vote. But the prospects were grim.

Republicans have pledged to try to have Mr. Spitzer impeached and only 34 of the more than 100 Democrats in the Assembly would be needed for the matter to be referred to the Senate for an impeachment trial. It was clear during the discussions that 34 or more Democrats were almost certain to vote against the governor.

What Charges Could Spitzer Face: Slate outlines the possible crimes that Spitzer may have committed:

Spitzer may have violated any number of federal laws. If prosecutors do go after him, they're most likely to focus on the Mann Act (18 U.S.C. § 2422), federal structuring laws (31 U.S.C. § 5324), and federal money-laundering statutes (18 U.S.C. § 1956).

The Mann Act: This series of laws, passed in the early 1900s in response to hysteria over "white slavery," proscribes the knowing persuasion, inducement, enticement, or coercion of "any individual to travel" from one state to another "to engage in prostitution, or in any sexual activity for which any person can be charged with a criminal offense." If, in fact, Spitzer arranged for Emperors' Club VIP "employee" Kristen to travel by train from New York to Washington, D.C., to engage in illegal sex (and, particularly, if he paid for her train ticket), his actions would almost surely fall within the range of conduct prohibited by the Mann Act.

A violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2422 is punishable by up to 20 years' imprisonment. Under federal sentencing guidelines, however, Spitzer would probably face just 15 to 21 months if convicted.

Read more about each law in relation to Spitzer's actions.

Spitzer is considering a plea deal with the government, the AP reports:

Whether U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Taylor, who prosecutes federal and local laws in the District of Columbia, will bring charges against Spitzer likely depends on the plea deal the governor is negotiating with the government in New York, two senior law enforcement officials said.

In a statement issued after Spitzer's resignation, U.S. Attorney Michael Garcia said there was no deal with the fallen governor: "There is no agreement between this office and Governor Eliot Spitzer, relating to his resignation or any other matter."

Clinton Offers Sympathy: Fellow New Yorker Hillary Clinton commented on the Spitzer affair:

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton _ no stranger to political sex scandals _ sounded a short, sympathetic note Wednesday for disgraced Gov. Eliot Spitzer, saying she is thinking of his family.

"I'm deeply saddened by this turn of events and my thoughts are with Governor Spitzer's family during this painful time," Clinton said in a statement.

FBI Previously Watched Spitzer: "Weeks before a hotel meeting with a prostitute that threatens to derail his career, the FBI staked out New York Gov. Eliot L. Spitzer at the same hotel in an unsuccessful effort to catch him with a high-priced call girl," the Washington Post reports. "The FBI placed a surveillance team on Spitzer at the Mayflower Hotel for the first time on Jan. 26, after concluding from a wiretapped conversation that he might try to meet with a prostitute when he traveled to Washington to attend a black-tie dinner, the source said Tuesday."

Paterson An Unlikely Governor: Here's a HuffPost bio of the new governor.

From the AP:

Spitzer will be replaced on Monday by Lt. Gov. David Paterson, who becomes New York's first black governor. He also will be the state's first legally blind governor and its first disabled governor since Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Paterson said in a statement that he was saddened, but would move forward. "It is now time for Albany to get back to work as the people of this state expect from us," he said.

The Politico's Ben Smith profiles Spitzer's successor David Paterson:

"He comes in with certain strengths - he knows state government, he knows the formal and informal rules, he knows the players," said Doug Muzzio, a professor of public affairs at Baruch College in New York. "The question is, does he have the strength as an executive to get it done. There's a big difference between being governor and being minority leader in the state Senate [Paterson's previous job]. The minority leader in the Senate is nothing."

The relief and trepidation in New York share a common source: Paterson's charm, his quick wit and his eagerness to please. Those traits could be an asset after Spitzer's 14 months of bitter conflict. But at a time when the state is wrestling with a difficult, multibillion-dollar budget, there are drawbacks to having a new governor who describes his own worst failing as a difficulty in saying "no."

New Yorkers Wanted Spitzer To Go: A SurveyUSA poll taken yesterday found that 67 percent of New York residents wanted Spitzer to resign.

Comments

[hhkeller]

50 working girls in the Emperors Dating Service and only one client??
Curios how the Republican Justice Dept found only one client.

The national press is either stupid, blind or stupid.
Where's the rest of the story.

[justannesopinion]

I'm not sure who started the practice of using wives of sex-scandalled pols as stage dressing, but it's gross and it needs to stop! For a political sex scandal to consequential enough to require stepping up to the podium for a public statement, it's never just because some infidelity has been exposed. It only happens when the sex is mixed in with crime or corruption, however petty or technical it might seem. A a politician accused of nookie-free misbehavior such as bribery or kickbacks wouldn't drag a spouse on stage as a pantomime of mute misery.

Looking at it from a different angle, if a politician had been arrested for punching out his wife, nobody would expect her to join him at the podium and silently show off her black eye and split lip. So the wife doesn't have to show up to support her man if the offense is only against her but no outside sex is involved, or if it's against a general duty to refrain from corrupt behavior if no outside sex is involved; it's only a narrow band of behavior where sex and public duty intersect. There's no rational reason this should be such as "special" place for a show of loyalty. It makes everyone involved look stupid, and proves nothing!

So, political spouses, please just take a pass on that special date on the "I have let my family down" stage.

[myownwings]

I would just like one of these dudes to just say it like it is for a change and not go through this phoney "I'm sorry" crap. For heavens sake, are we to believe that after six years he didn't enjoy himself and want to continue??? And that he didn't consider himself above the laws he sought to c ontrol this behavior - even if he really felt that money and privilege made it okay for him? I don't care what he does to amuse himself but not at the expense of honesty and the law and service to people who put him in office.

And why is another woman standing next to a man like this? If she wants to work things out in their marriage, that's her business but standing beside someone who has broken the law, lied to her, not cared for her as a marriage would suggest we could expect? When, women of the world, are we going to stand on our own two feet and know that we can find love and success and freedom elsewhere? That we can survive giving up this kind of relationship? A lot of us could give free advice and loving support! If you still want him personally, stand off to the side and pick up the pieces but give that man roomm, standing alone, to take his just hits for having failed.

I just want him to stand up like a fully developed human being at his age and say he did it and now he is ready to pay for it. That's all. Seems like that is oh-so-much for these lizard-brain operatives who feel it's okay to cheat the people they purport to serve.

[The Hedonistic Pleasureseeker]

Gee, I wonder which one of Spitzer's investigations was halted due to this Mossad-engineered sting? Word on the tinfoil hat circuit is that the focus of one of Governor Spitzer's recent investigations concerned the Carlyle Group (aka Bush Crime Family) as it nears total collapse and is facing insolvency due to (former WTC owner) multi-squi­bilionaire Larry Silverstein's withdrawal of over $14 billion from the embattled group's coffers, and which will probably result in MAJOR losses to New York State's already troubled pension fund.

Also, Spitzer was competition for certain other New York neocon/neoliberal politicians. Now he's out of their way, which is especially convenient since it's unlikely that said New York politicians will be seeing the inside of the White House anytime soon. Look! A potential vacancy, how timely! Fancy that!

I suppose Mr. Spitzer can feel some relief that it all didn't end with a plane crash.

[GhostintheMachine]

Funny how all you "Liberals" slammed Sen Craig for his Sexual misconduct but you defend Spitzer.

[armadillious2002]

Well, at least he isn't gay like all the repubs have been who have gotten busted.

[Gumby123]

A little advice - I don't think this is a good place to air your bigotry towards gays.

[Boboday555]

Christian Republican ‘whore monger’ Senator David Vitter still hasn't stepped down yet has he?
I didn't think so.
And Reverend Ted "The Druggie Whoremonger" Haggard and Larry "Boy-toy" Craig as well as actual prostitute Jeff Gannon must think they're above all that 'honor' stuff that Mr. Spitzer just demonstrated.

Well what do you know; it looks like whole-sale hypocrisy is another one of those "Traditional Christian Values the Far-Far Right is always singing about.

[Gumby123]

The others you mention didn't break the laws in the magnitude with which Spitzer did. In addtion to being governonr, Spitzer was a moral crusader. Pot meet kettle, your point is moot.

[TimetoIMPEACH]

Sorry, YOUR point is moot: the Christian Republicans have been crusading long and loud from their soapboxes -- same pot and kettle!

Boboday555's hypocrisy point is spot on.

Also, the Christian zealots broke the law every bit as much. They just weren't wire-tapped.

[TOOO]

It was sad to see Spitzer go, but necessary.

We can go on and on anon about, "How come the Republicans are getting away with it, but not the Democrats?" - but those of us on the Left have to hold to higher standards. If not, then what's the point? I'd like to think we're not in it just to go around chanting, "We're Number One! We're Number One!"

If we insist on jumping into the cesspool with the Republicans (as Mrs. Clinton - and Ms. Ferraro - insist on doing), we may never be able to climb out - and even then, we'd still carry the stink.

[jubo]

Spitzer nailed Merril Lynch for $100 million for fraud. Wall street was hit with $1.4 billion for fraudulent practices during is stay. Now a bank notifies the FBI of 'strange' money movement.

You have to have an element of arrogance not to think they'll come after you.

[Seattlelite]

Our culture has some sort of "sex" phobia. I am in no way defending this man but why is it that people seem to find it more offensive when someone goes down due to having sex? Where is all the spot light and offensive when we find out some hot shot corporate executive has robed employee's out of their 401K plans. The guy from Enron had to die of a heart attack before he got any media attention.

it's long over due we legalize the business transaction between two consenting adults and stop pretending people don't have sex in this country.

[TimetoIMPEACH]

I agree completely.

It is sad that so many men just can't seem to keep it in their pants, but all things being equal this is NOTHING compared to Bully Bush starting an unprovoked and illegal war, promoting torture, pulling poverty funding, bail-outs for corporate felons of all kinds (don't forget Neil Bush and the first wave: the Savings and Loans of the 80's), etc., etc., etc.

Let's get off the 'OMG it's SEX' merry-go-round and focus on the things that are REALLY destroying societies.

[preemptivelove]

if saturday night live doesn't do a sketch with mrs. spitzer calling hillary clinton on the red phone at 3 a.m. to help her through this crisis, i'll be very disappointed. i mean, that's where hillary really has an edge over obama. she really does have more experience......at dealing with a cheating and lying spouse who publicly humiliates her. if snl doesn't go for this joke waiting to be told, i'll give up on them for good.

[doglove]

this is what illegal wiretapping gets us???

What a waste of taxpayers money.
.

[maxfusion]

This man will be indicted.

[Gary47]

Who are clients 1 through 8? Hello? Don't suppose any of them are right-wing bush supporters.

[Jackalheadedgod]

Like, duh...

[Harrier]

Regrdless of the details, I wanted to see him stay onand kee nailing the bad guys that were high up. Everyone else was too afraid. There needs to be a lot of people taken down in he finance industry-a­bsolutelno morality

[postedby]

Buy a space key, will makeyourposts easier toread. ;-)