Spitzer … Unzipped

Politics Comments (1)

I’m getting a little more suspicious of everybody as events unfold. That’s normal for anyone who’s ever done time as a reporter …

So, Gov. Spitzer was “nabbed,” to use the technical word, because he was identified on a federal wiretap, making arrangements to meet a high-priced sex worker, who allegedly traveled from New York to Washington, D.C. and spent the night (or at least an hour with the meter running) with him. First off … I want to know when the investigation into Empire Club VIP started and on what basis … because I do wonder if the feds got tipped off by illegal wiretaps first, which has been known to happen under the current regime.

Second off: According to The New York Times:

“federal prosecutors rarely charge clients in prostitution cases, which are generally seen as state crimes. But the Mann Act, passed by Congress in 1910 to address prostitution, human trafficking and what was viewed at the time as immorality in general, makes it a crime to transport someone between states for the purpose of prostitution. The four defendants charged in the case unsealed last week were all charged with that crime, along with several others.”

Spitzer is calling this a private matter, which it obviously is not anymore. But I want to know what the feds knew, when they knew it and how they knew it; and I’d like to know how often they invoke the Mann Act against clients in prostitution cases.

Because regardless of what you think of Eliot Spitzer or prostitution, I think lots of people might agree that we don’t want the federal government railroading out of office those public officials it doesn’t like based on illegal wiretaps. I’m not sayin’ it happened … but I am saying it could have.

The law has a history of being used to go after controversial figures, including:

• Chuck Berry
• Charlie Chaplin
• Rex Ingram
• Jack Johnson
• William I. Thomas
• Frank Lloyd Wright
• Charles Manson

(Thanks, Wikipedia.)

jss @ March 10, 2008