Posted on 11/06/2008 8:47:05 PM PST by TheEaglehasLanded
U.S. Attorney Says Former N.Y. Governor Did Not Misuse Campaign Funds As A Client Of 'Emperors Club VIP'
NEW YORK (CBS) ― Former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer will not face criminal charges following his role as a client in a high-profile prostution ring that led to his resignation in March.
U.S. Attorney Michael Garcia announced his decision Thursday afternoon.
"Eliot Spitzer has acknowledged to this Office that he was a client of, and made payments to, the Emperors Club VIP. Our investigation has shown that on multiple occasions, Mr. Spitzer arranged for women to travel from one state to another state to engage in prostitution. After a thorough investigation, this Office has uncovered no evidence of misuse of public or campaign funds," Garcia said in a statement.
Garcia also said there was no evidence pointing to criminal means of payment to the Club, despite court documents and published reports indicating that perhaps as much as $80,000 was transferred from Spitzer's account to a trio of dummy companies that were fronts for the escort service.
"In light of the policy of the Department of Justice with respect to prostitution offenses and the longstanding practice of this Office, as well as Mr. Spitzer's acceptance of responsibility for his conduct, we have concluded that the public interest would not be further advanced by filing criminal charges in this matter," Garcia said.
Spitzer issued a statement expressing relief in the decision and again apologizing for his misconduct, though once again not specifically stating what that misconduct was.
"I appreciate the impartiality and thoroughness of the investigation by the U.S. Attorney's Office, and I acknowledge and accept responsibility for the conduct it disclosed. I resigned my position as Governor because I recognized that conduct was unworthy of an elected official. I once again apologize for my actions," Spitzer said.
Spitzer, the 54th governor of New York, officially resigned on March 17 after he was found to be a client of the Emperors Club VIP that was busted days before. He has remained out of the public eye since, though CBS 2 caught him in line to vote with his wife, Silda, on Tuesday morning in Manhattan.
Once known as "Mr. Clean" for his tenure as an attorney and attorney general, and his promise to sweep corruption up and out of Albany, he'll forever be known as "Client 9," which he was referred to in wiretaps of the call girl agency.
Financial transactions showed Spitzer spent thousands on prostitutes through the agency. In a transcript of the wiretap, it appeared that "Client 9" was willing to pay nearly $3,000 for just a few hours last month with call girl "Kristen," and even pay up to $2,000 in advance for future flings.
Kristen was later identified as 22-year-old aspiring musician Ashley Alexandra Dupree,
"I am deeply sorry I did not live up to what was expected from me. To every New Yorker, and all those who believed in what I tried to stand up for, I sincerely apologize," Spitzer said at the time of his resignation.
Four people pleaded guilty in recent months to running the prostitution operation that led to Spitzer's demise.
Stay with wcbstv.com and CBS 2 for the latest in this developing story
paying hookers is not a crime in NY now? WOW... .Legal Prostitution.... What kind of precedent does this set for all those soliciting prostitution>?
Don’t you love belligerent, demanding noobs who stomp around like they own the joint?
I want OBAMA on the record regarding this. I also want the Dem Congress on the record.....
I guess leftists have a get out of jail free card. George Orwell was prescient, if a quarter century early.
Unfortunately, Charlie Gibson, Katie Couric, et. al. hold the light.
IF HE WASN’T GUILTY WHY DID HE RESIGN? HMMMMMMM????
“Originally had wondered whether it was showing that Hillary would blackmail superdelegates with FBI files.”
My thought was more along the lines of a gop-run doj taking pre-emptive action (whether their initial finding on him was targeted or just lucky, dunno) to end this thug’s career before he got a presidential run going down the road. He is the worst kind of pol, overtly subverting the system, extorting people and businesses, to build his own political power base.
I’m shocked, shocked I tell ya.... sigh.
This demonstrates clearly why new leadership is needed in the GOP
BTW, what’s Berger doing these days, and Libby?
Two more examples.
“Guilty as hell. Free as a bird.”
LOL
So this means he can be appointed to a Cabinet Post?
Bud Light presents:
...(Real men of genius)
Today we salute you, Mr. Power Hungry Hypocrite Leftist Authoritarian Bully
...(Mr. Power Hungry Hypocrite Leftist Authoritarian Bully)
In your quest for higher political office and power you prosecuted everyone and ruined people in order to make a name for yourself...
...(You're an f'ing steamroller!)
Investment banks, research analysts, insurance companies, Native American tobacco retailers, $20 street hookers, jaywalkers, ticket scalpers, people who rip tags off mattresses, your mother
...(You're all going to jail)
The only person within a 500 mile radius you forgot to prosecute was yourself
...(Somebody convene a Grand Jury)
Other funny looking annoying rich men have to spend millions buying beautiful women condos, furs, BMW's, diamonds or proposing marriage in exchange for sex
...(where is the M3 convertible?)
You managed to get beautiful women by paying a miserly $80,000 for prostitutes over 10 years and risking criminal prosecution and public shame
...(Worth every penny)
Sure all pigs are created equal...but some pigs are more equal than others.
...(You're a special piece of pork!)
So crack open an ice cold Bud Light, oh $5,500 per hour call girl Governor...because the only people who were screwed here were the tax paying citizens
...(Mr. Power Hungry Hypocrite Leftist Authoritarian Bully)
Bud Light beer. Anheuser-Busch, St. Louis, Missouri.
How does Jefferson keep getting reelected?
Somehow I think Obama’d do it before Bush will. They’ll end up serving their sentences.
Democrats are, until proven otherwise, all to be considered career criminals.
The democrat party is an organized crime family.
Make no mistake it is clearly provable at least that the first find on him was targeted. I read in the paper that there was a targeted investigation of the shell companies he had set up to make payments. They made it sound like that was what was being investigated and they stumbled onto what the payments were being used for. Someone initiated that investigation.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.