Feds Appear To Be Closing In On Spitzer

WCBS ^ | 6/10/08 | Marcia Kramer

[pissant]

NEW YORK (CBS) ― The man who ran the prostitution ring that supplied hookers to former Gov. Eliot Spitzer is set to plead guilty this week, bringing prosecutors closer to Spitzer himself.

For months the big question in political circles has been whether Spitzer's resignation would be enough to stop the feds from indicting him.

"The remorse I feel will always be with me," Spitzer said on the day he announced he'd be stepping down as the leader of New York.

The noose appears to be tightening. On Thursday Mark Brener, the man who ran the Emperor's Club VIP hooker ring, will plead guilty to money laundering, prostitution and conspiracy. The federal case against him is apparently so strong that Brener wasn't offered a plea deal. Experts say that doesn't bode well for Spitzer.

"It does appear that there's a continuing investigation," attorney Gerald Shargel told CBS 2 HD. "The manner in which the investigation is being conducted strongly suggests that Gov. Spitzer is a target."

Brener is the third person to plead guilty in a month. Last week it was his girlfriend, Cecil "Katie" Suwal, and before that booker Temeka Lewis struck a deal with prosecutors. They have lots of evidence against the former governor.

Prosecutors have lots of records of Spitzer's financial transactions with the escort service and secret FBI recordings of phone conversations of the former governor setting up a rendezvous in Washington.

The recordings allegedly capture Spitzer asking Lewis to have a prostitute, "Kristen," travel from New York to Washington to meet him in the Mayflower Hotel – a federal violation.

"Reasonable minds suggest this should be over," Shargel said.

Shargel insists Spitzer shouldn't be tried, but he says if the feds do go after Spitzer, Lewis' testimony will be important.

"They sure are acting like they are putting a case together against the former governor," Shargel said.

There was no comment Tuesday from the Spitzer camp, but sources close to the former governor point out that the feds have information about nine other clients in the hooker ring. They say it would be selective prosecution if Spitzer gets charged and the nine others don't.

[pissant]

He'll get all the sex he can handle if he goes to the big house.

[Old Sarge]

RULES...

[ought-six]

“He’ll get all the sex he can handle if he goes to the big house.”

Some “Big House Bubba” will make him squeal like a pig.

[rottndog]

b..b...b...but he apologized...he expressed remorse...I don’t understand why that’s not enough!

[soupcon]

Twas Beauty killed the Beast

[Owl_Eagle]

Well... was Spitzer a D, or was he an R, because, oddly, the story doesn't say...

[Albion Wilde]

Liberals think getting over is all about words, redefining words, reframing. Let’s see him reframe this one.

[microgood]

We are the most wasteful society in history. After the Feds spend a couple million on this, some federal prosecutor will be bragging at cocktails and the bill will be sent to our great-great-great grandchildren since the greats and great-greats are already maxed out.

[FMBass]

One is always tempted to feel euphoric when a nasty guy gets nailed doing something, that he would have run anyone else into the ground for, if he caught them doing the same thing. So, we should temper that euphoric feeling, that is, until he is convicted, then we can party like a democrat would if they caught a republican doing evil.

Yet, right now, tee-hee-hee, drinks are on me!

Hope they hang the SOB!

[nomorelurker]

He will not they will. As in he was always some kind of Repub wolf in sheep's clothing.

[pissant]

Considering the billions in damage that Spitz was doing to NY State, its a great cost savings.

[microgood]

Considering the billions in damage that Spitz was doing to NY State, its a great cost savings.

I agree getting him out of office was good, but beyond that this is pure federal prosecutorial egoism, or who has the biggest trophy on the wall.

[pissant]

He wasn’t just an average john. He was the governor, the chief law enforcement officer of the state. Involved in a prostitution ring, abetting a prostitution ring, protecting a prostitution ring, and bringing a prostitute across state lines, using official travel as a front for his crime, setting up the crime on ‘company’ time, falsely using another man’s name (his friend, no less) in the commission of a crime, etc etc etc

[count-your-change]

If you’re going to kill a king you better make very sure he’s dead.

[Charles Henrickson]

PROSTITUTIN' SPITZ
Tune: "Puttin' on the Ritz"

If you're guv
And wish you knew
Where to get love
Why don't you do
Like hypocrites
Prostitutin' Spitz

Girls with names
You find out after
Play their games
And soon you hafta
Call it quits
Prostitutin' Spitz

Hooked up with a thousand-dollar hooker
Now you're stuck inside the pressure cooker
Lookin' snookered

Call-girl tricks
Of pure excitement
Pay for kicks
With your indictment
Paging Fitz
Prosecutin' Spitz

Have you seen the prostitute
Chargin' high and lookin' cute
You're a famous VIP
Now we write your RIP
Phone calls
And wiretapping
Net falls
It's you they're trapping
Spendin' lots of cash
For a thrill and a rash

If you're guv
And wish you knew
Where to get love
Why don't you do
Like hypocrites
Prostitutin' Spitz

Girls with names
You find out after
Play their games
And soon you hafta
Call it quits
Prostitutin' Spitz

Hooked up with a thousand-dollar hooker
Now you're stuck inside the pressure cooker
Lookin' snookered

Call-girl tricks
Of pure excitement
Pay for kicks
With your indictment
Paging Fitz
Prosecutin' Spitz

(Wiretapdancing)

Hooked up with a thousand-dollar hooker
Now you're stuck inside the pressure cooker
Lookin' snookered

If you're guv
And wish you knew
Where to get love
Why don't you do
Like hypocrites
Prostitutin' Spitz
Prostitutin' Spitz
Prostitutin' Spitz
Prostitutin' Spitz

[microgood]

He wasn’t just an average john. He was the governor, the chief law enforcement officer of the state. Involved in a prostitution ring, abetting a prostitution ring, protecting a prostitution ring, and bringing a prostitute across state lines, using official travel as a front for his crime, setting up the crime on ‘company’ time, falsely using another man’s name (his friend, no less) in the commission of a crime, etc etc etc

I understand your point, but I am kind of surprised prostitution is illegal at the federal level, since it is legal in Nevada. I understand the money laundering aspect, though, since that was what they were originally tracking and though was corruption based instead of sin based.

I basically have a problem with the last two decades of the federalization of crime, since there is zero accountability for abuses at the Federal level. Federal prosecutors are basically untouchable and noone that goes against them has a prayer. There is Zero Justice at the Federal level.

States, on the other hand, do not have unlimited resources and generally do not charge you with 7,990,393 counts of whatever.

[goldstategop]

For such a hard-nosed champion of law and order, its quite a dizzying descent in the other direction!

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[spanalot]

maybe Martha Stewart will make him a cake with soothing ointment inside.

[jws3sticks]

Here's Lawrence's advice to Peter in "Office Space":

http://new.wavlist.com/movies/317/ofsp-cornhole.wav

[Libloather]

Spitzer looking at distressed real estate: source
Reuters - Wednesday, June 11

NEW YORK - Former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer is looking at a number of options to possibly invest in distressed real estate, but does not yet have a formal plan, according to a source familiar with the matter.

Spitzer met with several former colleagues last month where they spoke about his interest in participating in his father's real estate business and in distressed assets created by the subprime crisis, among other things, the source said.

An earlier report in The New York Sun on Tuesday cited a source claiming Spitzer had approached Washington, D.C.-based labor union officials to pitch his idea for a vulture fund and that he was looking to pursue distressed real estate projects valued between $100 million and $500 million. Vulture funds invest in distressed assets.

A spokeswoman for Spitzer said the former governor's future plans are not yet clear.

"Mr. Spitzer is currently evaluating several longer term business ideas," his spokeswoman Brandy Bergman said.

Spitzer's father, real estate developer Bernard Spitzer, is a self-made multimillionaire known for building one of New York City's largest real estate firms.

The younger Spitzer resigned as governor in March after he was caught on a federal wiretap arranging to meet a prostitute in a Washington hotel room.

Two people who managed the prostitution ring already have pleaded guilty in the case. Spitzer has not been charged in the case and prosecutors refuse to say whether he will face criminal charges.

http://malaysia.news.yahoo.com/rtrs/20080611/tbs-business-fund-spitzer-dc-7318940.html