Spitzer given deadline to step down in sex scandal
State residents “cannot have this hanging over their heads”, said New York assembly minority leader James Tedisco
The scandal erupted on Monday when allegations surfaced that Spitzer, who built his political reputation on rooting out corruption, spent thousands of dollars for a night with a call girl named Kristen at a glitzy Washington hotel. Spitzer, a first-term Democratic governor remained hidden from public view yesterday while three New York newspapers called for his resignation.
Spitzer had not yet decided whether to resign, according to Democratic officials close to him. To begin the impeachment process, Tedisco would need support from the Democratic majority in the assembly.
The case started when banks noticed frequent cash transfers from several accounts and filed suspicious activity reports with the US Internal Revenue Service, said a law enforcement official yesterday. The accounts were traced back to Spitzer, prompting investigators to open an inquiry.
The inquiry found Spitzer was a repeat customer with the Emperors Club VIP, a high-end prostitution service, said the official.
In an affidavit filed in a Manhattan court last week, Spitzer appeared as “Client 9”, according to another law enforcement official.
Spitzer allegedly paid for the call girl to take a train from New York to Washington — a move that opened the transaction up to US federal prosecution because she crossed state lines. He allegedly paid more than $4,000 (€2,600) for the girl’s services. However, the governor has not been charged and prosecutors would not comment on the case.
At a news conference on Monday, Spitzer apologised to his family and the public.
He did not directly acknowledge any involvement with a prostitute. “I have acted in a way that violates my obligations to my family and violates my — or any — sense of right and wrong,” he said. “I apologise to the public, whom I promised better.”
Spitzer, a 48-year-old father of three teenage girls, was elected as New York’s governor with a historic margin of victory. He took office in January 2007, vowing to stamp out corruption in New York government in the same way he took on Wall Street executives while state attorney-general.
