What Spitzer Was Doing Before Seeing "Kristen"

Photograph of Spitzer visiting a veteran at the Batavia VA Medical Center

The alleged tryst that Governor Spitzer had with a $4,300 hooker took place on the evening of February 13 in Washington, D.C. But before the meeting, Spitzer had appearances in Rochester, Buffalo and Batavia, at the Batavia VA Medical Center.

Before proclaiming February 14, 2008 as a "Salute to Hospitalized Veterans Day in the Empire State," Spitzer called Valentine’s Day "a time of year when people show affection and appreciation for one another." (He also said "it also inspires the sentiments of caring and sharing that reflect the spirit of the National Salute to Hospitalized Veterans.")

At some point, Spitzer traveled to D.C., where he met Emperors' Club escort "Kristen" at the Mayflower Hotel. The next day - Valentine's Day - he testified in front of the House of Representatives on bond insurance.

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By Jen Chung in News on March 11, 2008 7:53 AM

Comments [rss]

EastRiver

I don't know how financial institutions track this kind of stuff, but how much money was moving back and forth to raise a red flag with the bank?

It looks like Spitzer thought he was being smart by keeping the dollar amounts small - under $10,000 each time - which I believe is what banks are required to report to the government. What caught the bank's attention was the number of transactions because he made it look like he was "structuring" i.e. trying to hide the overall transfer by breaking it up into small amounts. As a public official they thought he might be involved in something like a bribery scandal. Had the money been going to a legitimate destination rather than a shell company the investigation would have ended there.

David McCaffredy

The Times is reporting the bank account investigation began last year. I wouldn't be surprised if Spitzer is a long-time client. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/11/nyregion/11inquire.html

Outter Burrougher

VD-Day!

Rocknrope

I don't know how financial institutions track this kind of stuff, but how much money was moving back and forth to raise a red flag with the bank? I would think it would take alot of cash movement to raise those kinds of eyebrows.

zodak

he cheated on his wife & the mother of his 3 girls, with a whore the day before valentine's day.

he's so romantic!

EastRiver

To add to what #5 said, at least one article I saw last night said that Spitzer also only used two of the four hours he either booked or paid for.

I assume the FBI was already on to Emperors Club before Spitzer's money transfers led them there. The indictment accuses the four people charged with running the ring as far back as 2004.

kearnj

How pathetic.

paul

The prostitute wasn't $4,300. Or rather, there's no way to know now. We do know he had a $400 deposit left over from previous transactions, that he paid $4,300 directly to the prostitute, but that was for his remaining balance from what he mailed in the envelope AND included between $1,500-$2,000 towards a future deposit.

So basically, whatever was in that envelope plus the around $2,700, plus the $400 remaining deposit, is how much he paid. And we don't know how much was in the envelope.

glennQNYC

I wonder if his lady of the night swallowed, or was she a spitzer?

babyhitler

funny how a girl on her knees brought Spitzer to his knees. How the Mighty have fallen. I wonder what the NY post copy will be?

eyekantspel

here's another report along the same line. Says the bank reported him for suspicious money transfers, which led to investigation. If that's true, looks like the banks were the ones that got him. Payback's a bitch.

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=4424507&page=1

S.D.

Methiinks he's either seeing if this, um, blows over or working a deal where he resigns with no future prosecution.

On the news this morning, a reporter on the Today show said that the Feds were gunning for him all along due to unusual "cash expenditures" spotted by the IRS.

Is this confirmed?