Scandal engulfs N.Y. governor
Spitzer, crusader on crime, allegedly paid to meet with a prostitute
ALBANY, N.Y. - Governor Eliot Spitzer was a client of a high-end prostitution ring broken up last week by federal authorities, according to law enforcement officials, a development that threatened to end the governor's career and turned New York's political world upside down.
Spitzer's involvement with the prostitution operation was detailed in court papers filed last week, the officials said, as federal prosecutors brought charges against four people who had been running the service, Emperor's Club VIP. Spitzer was caught on a federal wiretap discussing payments and arranging to meet a prostitute in a Washington hotel room last month. The affidavit, which did not identify Spitzer by name, indicated that he had used the prostitution service before, although it was not clear how many times.
Spitzer appeared briefly with his wife at his Manhattan office yesterday afternoon to apologize, though he did not specifically address any involvement with the ring. He said he needed to repair his relationship with his family and decide what was best for the state, but declined to take questions, leaving after barely a minute.
"I have acted in a way that violates my obligations to my family and violates my, or any, sense of right or wrong," the governor said. "I apologize first and most importantly to my family. I apologize to the public, to whom I promised better.
"I have disappointed and failed to live up to the standard I expected of myself. I must now dedicate some time to regain the trust of my family."
The governor, a first-term Democrat and former attorney general who came into office with a reputation as a staunch corruption fighter, then returned to his Fifth Avenue apartment, and remained there last night, receiving counsel from his advisers and considering resignation, an aide said.
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The news was met with disbelief and shock in Albany, a capital accustomed to scandal. Some legislative staffers said they were too stunned to speak, and lawmakers gathered around television sets in hushed offices, trying to make sense of what had happened.
"We're at a total standstill," said Keith L.T. Wright, a Democratic assemblyman from Harlem. "Everybody is stunned. Everybody is absolutely stunned."
Spitzer has not been charged with a crime. But one law enforcement official who has been briefed on the case said Spitzer's lawyers would probably meet soon with federal prosecutors to discuss any possible legal exposure. The official said the discussions are likely to focus not on prostitution, but how it was paid for: whether the payments from Spitzer to the service were made in a way to conceal their purpose and source. That could amount to a crime called structuring, which carries a penalty of up to five years in prison.
If Spitzer were to resign, Lieutenant Governor David A. Paterson would serve out the remainder of his term, the first black person to be governor of New York. State Senator Joseph L. Bruno, the state's top Republican and Spitzer's adversary, would assume the duties of the lieutenant governor.
By 10 a.m. yesterday, it was clear in Albany that something was wrong. Spitzer's office abruptly canceled a speech to a family planning conference, 20 minutes before he was scheduled to ascend the podium. The governor also canceled a private meeting with Cardinal Edward M. Egan, first sending word that Paterson would stand in for him, and then abandoning the session altogether.
The governor learned that he had been implicated in the prostitution inquiry when a federal official contacted his office on Friday, according to the person briefed on the case. On Saturday night, he attended the Gridiron Club annual dinner, a political roast put on by Washington journalists, and appeared ebullient, according to people in attendance.
The governor informed his top aides on Sunday night and yesterday morning of his involvement in the case.
Dietrich L. Snell, a lawyer who has represented Spitzer, did not return telephone and e-mail messages yesterday.
According to prosecutors, the Emperor's Club provided women to clients in London, Paris, Miami, and other cities and charged them $1,000 to $5,500 an hour.
The affidavit details a Feb. 13 encounter between a prostitute named Kristen and a man described as Client 9, whom law enforcement officials identified as Spitzer. Spitzer traveled to Washington that evening, according to a person told of his travel arrangements, and stayed at the Mayflower Hotel.
He testified before Congress about the bond insurance crisis the following morning. Among the open questions is where Spitzer's security detail was while the prostitute was inside the hotel.
The affidavit said that he met the woman in hotel room 871, but does not identify the hotel. Room 871 at the Mayflower Hotel that evening was registered under the name George Fox.
One of the law enforcement officials said that several people running the prostitution ring knew Spitzer by the name of George Fox, though a few of the prostitutes came to realize who he was.
Fox is a friend and a donor to Spitzer. Told yesterday that the Renaissance Mayflower Hotel room was registered in his name but with Spitzer's Fifth Avenue address, Fox said, "That is the first I have heard of it," and declined to comment further.
Spitzer called Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Assembly Leader Sheldon Silver yesterday afternoon after his announcement, but his aides did not share details of his conversations.
Republicans yesterday were quick to pounce, with some calling for him to resign.
"He has to step down. No one will stand with him," Representative Peter King, a Republican congressman from Long Island, told the Associated Press. "I never try to take advantage or gloat over a personal tragedy. However, this is different. This is a guy who is so self-righteous, and so unforgiving."
Spitzer's fellow Democrats were muted in their response.
Silver issued a terse two-sentence statement: "The allegations against the governor are before the public. I have nothing to add at this time."
