New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer has been implicated in a federal prostitution probe after it was discovered he had a tryst with a young high-class hooker the day before Valentine’s Day that landed on an FBI wiretap, sources said today.
The brash governor – famous for both his legal brilliance and unbridled arrogance – offered little more than a vague apology during a brief press conference without giving any indication if he’ll step down over his sexual shenanigans.
The usually-loquacious Spitzer said little more other than he “acted in a way that violates the obligations to my family, that violates my, or any, sense of right and wrong.”
The state – and the nation – expressed uniform shock that the man who claimed to make ethics and combating corruption the cornerstone of his administration was caught up in such a sordid scandal.
News reports linked Spitzer to the indicted Emperors Club VIP, an upscale escort service that supplied well-heeled johns “fashion models, pageant winners and exquisite students.” for up to $5,500 an hour.
Spitzer is believed to have been a long-standing client of the Emperors Club VIP, an upscale escort service that supplied well-heeled johns expensive “fashion models, pageant winners and exquisite students” for up to $5,500 an hour. The women were ranked on a three to seven diamond scale for based on brains, beauty and education.
The 48-year-old Democrat, who according to one of the ring’s madams had reputation of being a “difficult” client, was caught on a FBI wiretap making arrangements to have a “very pretty brunette” delivered to his Washington D.C. hotel room in the late evening of Feb. 13.
“I’ve disappointed and failed to live up to the standards that I expected of myself. I must now dedicate some time regaining the trust of my family,” Spitzer, with his wife Silda at his side, said at a hastily called news conference.
“Today I am going to briefly address a private matter. I have acted in a way that violates my obligations to my family and that violates mine or any sense of right or wrong.
“I apologize first and most importantly to my family. I apologize to the public who I promised better. I don’t believe politics in the long run is about individuals. It is about ideas and the public good and doing what is best for the state of New York.
Spitzer, a father of three daughters, took no questions afterwards except to say he’ll “report back” soon. He did not directly address the prostitution connection.
Among the day’s events:
•Politicians from around the state demanded his resignation
•Lt. Gov. David Paterson, in crisis mode, reached out to state and city leaders
•Wall Street rejoiced that their former “sheriff” was now on the other side of the law.
•Reaction was fast and fierce.
“This is a guy who is so self-righteous, and so unforgiving. .ñ.ñ. He has to step down. No one will stand with him,” said Rep. Peter King, a Republican from Long Island.
Spitzer, who is a super delegate at the Democratic presidential convention, did receive some support from political ally Sen. Hillary Clinton.
“I obviously am sending best wishes and thoughts to the governor and to his family… Let’s wait and see what comes out of the next days. Right now, I don’t have any comment. I think it’s appropriate to whish family well and see how things develop,” she said.
Lt. Gov. David Paterson made a slew of emergency phones calls to Mayor Bloomberg, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver shortly after the scandal broke. It’s unclear what they discussed.
Meanwhile, Wall Streeters, still smarting over Spitzer’s investigations into corporate governance during his attorney general years, cheered at the governor’s comeuppance.
Just last year when Spitzer was the reformer of Albany he was being talked about as the first Jewish president with a shot at the 2012 election.
But around the same time, the IRS began probing a commercial bank account with suspicious transactions, and turned their findings over to the FBI’s public integrity unit, sources told The Post.
The feds soon realized the account was in effect a private slush fund operated by Spitzer. He wired multiple payments of thousands at a time to shell companies controlled by Emperors Club, sources said.
Last Thursday, the club – which was based out of an apartment in Cliffside Park, N.J. and netted at least $1 million – was busted by federal agents in Manhattan.
Both the governor and the prostitute’s cell phone calls with the managers of the call girl ring were caught on federal wiretaps.
Details of tryst were outlined in a federal complaint filed last week against the principals of Emperors Club VIP.
On Jan. 28, investigators recorded a conversation between Temeka Rachelle Lewis, one of the ring’s “bookers” and Cecil “Katie’ Suwal, the No. 2 of the organization, about arranging a date for Client-9 at the Mayflower Hotel.
A prostitute identified as Kristen, “an American, petite, very pretty brunette, 5 feet 5 inches, and 105 pounds” was to meet Client-9 at a hotel in Washington D.C. for a four-hour date that was discussed in subsequent phone calls.
Client-9 paid to have her take Amtrak from Penn Station to Washington D.C.
Spitzer was also apparently known as a “difficult” client by the call girl ring.
Suwal told Kirsten that “[Client 9] would ask you to do things that, like, you might not think were safe – you know – I mean that… very basic things.”
But, Kirsten said she could handle him and said she actually liked him.
“I have a way of dealing with that. I’d be like listen dude, you really want the sex?” she said.
It is unclear what “things” that “might not be safe” Suwal was referring to in the conversation.
Spitzer, or Client-9, also had to more demands that typical clients, according to the court papers.
He couldn’t pay the fee through the wire transfers and mailed a deposit to the Emperors Club that didn’t arrive on time causing an extended back and forth between Client-9.
At the same time, he insisted he had a $400 credit from a previous transaction with the flesh peddlers. He also balked at leaving a key for the prostitute with the hotel concierge because he didn’t want her to say his name at the front desk.
Eventually, he decided to just leave his hotel room, which was booked under the name George Fox, a friend and political donor.
He left the door slightly ajar so Kristen could come to the room directly, according to the complaint and a report by nytimes.com.
“Client 9 would be paying for everything – train tickets, cab fare from the hotel and back, mini bar or room service, travel time, and hotel,” the court papers say.
In all, he paid $4,300 for the encounter, which included “credit” for future dates.
“Here’s a guy whose entire career has been based on being ‘The Sheriff of Wall Street,’ ‘Mr. Morality,’ the guy who is standing firm for ethics in government,” said Maurice Carroll, director of Quinnipiac University’s Polling Institute.
Additional reporting by Gemma Jones and Tom Topousis