Spitzer Resigning This Morning, Other Details

Photograph of Eliot Spitzer as his Monday press conference by Mary Altaffer/AP

Multiple sources say that Governor Eliot Spitzer is resigning and has begun notifying top state officials of his decision and is now scheduled to speak at 11:30 a.m.. Of course, he was expected to step down yesterday, but it seems that after "an agonizing night," his resignation is all but confirmed. (The Times has a Q&A conducted with Paterson in January; like Spitzer he's a big Hillary Clinton booster.)

A notarized letter of resignation is expected to be delivered soon to the state Capitol, with Lieutenant Governor David A. Paterson to be sworn is as acting governor later today. Paterson, who today becomes the first African-American governor in New York and the first legally blind governor in U.S. history, had reportedly urged Spitzer to withhold resigning until Monday to better prepare for the transition, to no avail.

The embattled governor, cited as a customer of a high class prostitution ring and possibly facing criminal charges, apparently had drafted a resignation letter on Monday at 7 p.m., but his family and advisers said he shouldn't resign so quickly, as his power could be used as a bargaining chip with prosecutors. Some new details about the case:

Spitzer's bank tipped off the IRS when the governor "tried to make multiple transfers that came to more than $10,000, an amount that triggers federal reporting requirements." (The transfers went to the Emperors Club shell company, QAT Consulting; here are more details about the Bank Secrecy Act.)
Later, Spitzer asked the bank to take his name off some transfers, but the bank refused, since it would be (a) "improper" and (b) moot, since the money was sent.
A source told Newsday the IRS was worried Spitzer "was the victim of some sort of blackmail scheme or that he was being victimized by an impostor."
A 22-year-old escort - not from Emperors Club - tells ABC News that Spitzer was her customer when he was attorney general. She said, "He didn't do anything that wasn't clean," and apparently called from the attorney general's office in Brooklyn.
The Post got confirmation from law enforcement officials that "Spitzer didn’t want to wear a condom."
Spitzer MAY HAVE SPENT UP TO $80,000 ON HOOKERS over the past few years
In plea deal talks with prosecutors, Spitzer is looking to only plead guilty to a misdemeanor. Prosecutors are also looking to bring in other Emperors Club call girls for questioning.

Aides say wife Silda Wall Spitzer and other aides had been advising against resignation yesterday, as they hunkered down in the Spitzers' Fifth Avenue apartment, but the Sun reports, "argument in favor of resignation ultimately prevailed" with Spitzer realizing his association with the Emperors Club prostitution ring "left him with no choice but to accept that his once-soaring political career had crashed."

A WNBC/Marist poll released yesterday says that 7 out of 10 New York State residents wants Spitzer to resign; half want him to be charged with a crime. Lieutenant Governor David Paterson told reporters in Albany yesterday, "The governor called me yesterday. He said he didn’t resign for a number of reasons, and he didn’t go into the reasons, and that’s the last I’ve heard from him.” Paterson has now been informed that he will be sworn in later today.

UPDATE 10:15 a.m.: Spitzer is scheduled to speak at 11:30 a.m.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Chung in News on March 12, 2008 9:11 AM

Comments [rss]

johnx

...re:debeers, I meant "ice" not "glass"...

johnx

A new "escort" service: vajayjays'R'us. Totally under the radar. (thanks to Barbj8)

johnx

...that's like being "addicted" to protein...squirts!

schwing!

johnx

Addicted!?

Sex is food.

How many days can you really go without food?

johnx

I wouldn't be surprised to find "two little kiwis" being auctioned off on eBay in a couple of days. Bidding starts at $9,999.99, so as not to trigger the IRS, then it goes up in increments of $9,999.99.

At this point, $9,999.99 for a roll in the hay probably sounds cheap for the ex-guv.

The Edge

Who isn't addicted to sex?

johnx

...Jesus H. dadoc, that's ruthless, though I was gonna mention, that after he breaks all the mirrors, he should HIDE THE KNIVES!

johnx

Faulting Clinton for getting an extramarital blow job is puritanical. He was thinking with his weenie, which is usually not a good strategy in high offices. It may also not have been premeditated. Which means it was not a blow job in the first degree (no offense intended Monica). Right, ex-guv?

But c'mon, for a dude like Elliot, who pays big ASS bucks to smell-e-it, whilst as a professional, puts the hurt on the "professionals", this is a heapin' helpin' of hubris swallowed by nemesis. Bottoms up, Guv!!!

All the photos of his wife standin' by his side SINCE LAW SCHOOL! Jesus H. is right. Three daughters. If I were him, I don't know about suicide, but I'd surely remove all the mirrors from the house and never set foot on the street again. Or maybe just undergo an ocularectomy so as not to have to stare at that sorry mug again.

I don't recall seeing much glass on his wife in all those pictures, but hey, lemme throw you a bone, ex-guv: http://www.debeers.com/

Lawyer-schmlawyer, schlemeel, schlemazo...

Sleep tight.

johnx

Faulting Clinton for getting an extramarital blow job is puritanical. He was thinking with his weenie, which is usually not a good strategy in high offices. It may also not have been premeditated. Which means it was not a blow job in the first degree (no offense intended Monica). Right, ex-guv?

But c'mon, for a dude like Elliot, who pays big ASS bucks to smell-e-it, whilst as a professional, puts the hurt on the "professionals", this is a heapin' helpin' of hubris swallowed by nemesis. Bottoms up, Guv!!!

All the photos of his wife standin' by his side SINCE LAW SCHOOL! Jesus H. is right. Three daughters. If I were him, I don't know about suicide, but I'd surely remove all the mirrors from the house and never set foot on the street again. Or maybe just undergo an ocularectomy so as not to have to stare at that sorry mug again.

I don't recall seeing much glass on his wife in all those pictures, but hey, lemme throw you a bone, ex-guv: http://www.debeers.com/

Lawyer-schmlawyer, schlemeel, schlemazo...

Sleep tight.

dadoc

As I said before, (NON-partisanly and not defending any group, adminstration or party),

If he didn't start off as such an "I'm the great and ethical saviour and I'm gonna whip all your unethical arses!" guy, we might feel some level of compassion.

But he's a putz, has always been a putz, and will remain such.

As in all comedies & tragedies, the prime character must have a fatal flaw.

Spitz's was arrogance, mixed with a large dollop of contempt for others and an inflated sense of self-worth.

Classic antisocial personality.

Too bad his parents raised him in only an atmosphere of privilege and wealth, but failed to instill in him a sense of humanity. He lacks a conscience and has no sense of guilt. I'm sure he only sees this as people out to get HIM.

"Gee honey, sorry 'bout that HIV, HPV, HepC & HSV I gave ya."

We should all send Mrs. S. DVDs of "The Lorena Bobbitt Story" rather than waiting for her to appear on "Dr" Phil

Dadoc

Barbj8

Man, if I knew I could make that much money with my vajayjay, I could have saved a lot of time!

Bottomless Chips

EastRiver,

Your questions are quite scattered. Where did I say that Foley should've been run out of office? He followed the arbitrary 18-year old laws.

He and Craig both didn't deserve the shake they got. Both were bisexual. That's nothing newsworthy. One had relations with someone "of age," and the other was looking for a little fun amongst consenting adults.

edward_g_robincat

EastRiver, can you please direct me to the Illegal Wiretapping Scandal News channel??

EastRiver

The point is there are far more serious crimes going unpunished and the media isn't making a circus about them (anymore).

What newspapers and cable channels do you get your news from!?!?!?!?

I said it was creepy. I didn't say I want to make a law about the age. Big difference

Then why should Foley have been run out of office? For being creepy?

Bottomless Chips

What is your point then? I thought you were saying Foley had to go because he was a hypocrite i.e. making advances toward minors when one of his pet issues was going after child pornographers. Are you saying he should have lost his job even if all of the pages were adults? Talk about the morality police! If Foley can't hit on 18 year olds why should Spitzer get to sleep with 22 year old prostitutes and it be any less creepy? Is 22 magically better than 18?

I said it was creepy. I didn't say I want to make a law about the age. Big difference

edward_g_robincat

EastRiver, I posted the list, and my point isn't to say that Spitzer deserves a free ride because of Iraq. The point is there are far more serious crimes going unpunished and the media isn't making a circus about them (anymore). In other words, crimes have been committed that will affect us for decades or centuries and there is no accountability whatsoever. Neither of those can be said for this Spitzer thing -- he has broken the law (ignobly) ended his political career (somewhat nobly). Where are the resignation calls for all the other felons in power, whose continuing reign is an insult to the US and the world?

bklyngrrl

sounds like an addiction and narcissism. Suicide watch? Definitely.

EastRiver

Eighteen is just an arbitrary age. It's creepy that anyone that old tries to go after 17 or 18 year olds.

What is your point then? I thought you were saying Foley had to go because he was a hypocrite i.e. making advances toward minors when one of his pet issues was going after child pornographers. Are you saying he should have lost his job even if all of the pages were adults? Talk about the morality police! If Foley can't hit on 18 year olds why should Spitzer get to sleep with 22 year old prostitutes and it be any less creepy? Is 22 magically better than 18?

EastRiver

Chips, How about because making a legal case against Spitzer is a slam dunk? It's always easier to get someone on the small case. Ironically, Spitzer should know this. He always cut deals with the Wall Street firms he went after. He was the Tom Cruise of Attorney Generals: never saw the inside of a courtroom. There was plenty of press about this. People wondered if he would have been able to win convictions.

Maybe it wasn't your intent but it comes across that you think Spitzer should get a free ride because of Iraq. Sorry, but the world just doesn't work that way. And as I said yesterday, if the Democrats in Congress want to go after Bush and Cheney there are Constitutional powers available for them to use. Making a real case for any of the items you list would be pretty difficult though. Much of the issues over just what authority Presidents have and don't have is a little murky in terms of case law.

Fritzdecat

""...wife Silda Wall Spitzer and other aides had been advising against resignation "

Are they insane?"

Exactly I asked the same thing yesterday here and some idiot said he shouldn't becase this type of thing happens all the time. LOL

this has really brought the nuts out of the woodwoork