Mr. Clean Gets Dirty: Spitzer Faces Calls for Resignation Over Sex Scandal
Eliot Spitzer was known as a corruption-buster, going after several high-profile prosecutions of Wall Street figures, extracting billions of dollars in fines from investment banks, mutual funds and brokerage houses. He also went after the insurance industry, and engineered the departures of the chiefs of two insurance giants. In one of those cases, against American International Group Inc., Spitzer was criticized for threatening to criminally charge the firm if its longtime chief, Maurice "Hank" Greenberg, did not resign. (Mr. Greenberg resigned, and continues to fight charges against him.)
Spitzer even made a name for himself by busting prostitution rings during his time as New York Attorney General, pointing out that these rings are often involved in human trafficking, drug trafficking and money laundering. Now Governor Eliot Spitzer's political future hangs in the balance with his admission that he had violated the trust of his family and the public in the wake of reports a federal investigation had linked him to a prostitution ring.
"There's no way he can survive it," said Ed Rollins, a Republican political consultant and adviser to former presidential candidate Mike Huckabee. "All the facts aren't out there, but as they're being reported, there's no way you can survive. "Not only is he a hypocrite, he may also end up being a charged felon."
The Republicans are not the only ones calling for his resignation. New Yorkers are in a state of shock over these revelations considering Spitzer's "holier than thou" approach to governing and are also talking resignation.
Many political professionals said they were stunned by Monday's developments regarding Spitzer. "Obviously, the facts are going to come out in the next several days and the story will be told," said Robert Zimmerman, a political adviser and Democratic National Committee member. "But if the facts are as we suspect, it's very hard to imagine him staying in office."
Published on March 11, 2008
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