Client #9

Democratic Governor Eliot Spitzer announced yesterday that he “acted in a way that violates my obligation to my family and violates my or any sense of right or wrong.” Spitzer was caught in federal wiretap setting up an appointment with a high priced call girl in Washington, D.C.

He has yet to resign. When the Republican bathroom toe-tapper, Larry Craig, was caught up in his scandal, I called for him to resign. Republican David Vitter used prostitutes, and I called for him to resign.

Gov. Spitzer needs to resign.

This is about integrity. If these men cannot keep a promise to their wives, they cannot be trusted to hold any position of power. They put themselves in a vulnerable position, a position where they can be easily exploited. As Darrell at Morning Coffee.com wrote:

As a former Attorney general the Governor should know more than anyone, that prostitution rings are frequently used by Organized Crime. Getting high profile elected officials involved opens them up to blackmail and is an easy way to influence pending legislation, and executive decisions. The Governor should resign, not because of the sex, but because of the damage he inflicted upon his office.

Spitzer used an alias, George Fox, and was known as “Client #9.” He paid $4,300 to the Diamond Club for the “service.” It was the payments, the money transfers, that initially lead authorities to Spitzer. They thought he was hiding bribes:

The suspicious financial activity was initially reported by a bank to the IRS which, under direction from the Justice Department, brought kin the FBI’s Public Corruption Squad.

“We had no interest at all in the prostitution ring until the thing with Spitzer led us to learn about it,” said one Justice Department official.

Spitzer has drafted a letter of resignation, according to WNBC.com. Let’s hope he uses it.

Other voices from the blogosphere weigh in:

• One might call it Shakespearian if there were a shred of nobleness in the story of Eliot Spitzer’s fall. There is none. Governor Spitzer, who made his career by specializing in not just the prosecution, but the ruin, of other men, is himself almost certainly ruined. - memeorandum
• As for those few delusional apologists who want to argue that Spitzer engaged in a victimless crime, here are four of Spitzer’s innocent victims. Looking at that beautiful family makes the utter lack of remorse and humility in Spitzer’s appearance yesterday all the more mind-boggling. - Michelle Malkin
• Spitzer made a name for himself in part by busting prostitution circles when he was attorney general. He can’t quite claim that this isn’t a big deal; it sure seemed like it was a big deal when busting prostitution circles allowed Eliot Spitzer to present the Mr. Clean image that helped him become Governor in the first place. - Red State
• In short, it’s not a question of if Eliot Spitzer will resign, but when. - Pajamas Media