Anti-online gambling crusader linked to prostitution ring
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New York Governor Eliot Spitzer, one of the most well-known crusaders against online gambling in the United States, allegedly has been linked to the Emperor’s Club V.I.P. prostitution ring busted by federal authorities last week, according to a story in the New York Times.
According to NYT, Spitzer was “caught on a federal wiretap arranging to meet with a high-priced prostitute at a Washington hotel last month, according to a person briefed on the federal investigation.”
Spitzer appeared briefly on Monday, apologized for his behavior, but he said it was “private matter.”
According to the NYT story:
“I have acted in a way that violates my obligation to my family and violates my or any sense of right or wrong,” said Mr. Spitzer, who appeared with his wife Silda at his Manhattan office. “I apologize first and most importantly to my family. I apologize to the public to whom I promised better.”
“I have disappointed and failed to live up to the standard I expected of myself. I must now dedicate some time to regain the trust of my family.”
Before speaking, Mr. Spitzer stood with his arm around his wife; the two nodded and then strode forward together to face more than 100 reporters. Both had glassy, tear-filled eyes, but they did not cry.
The governor spoke for perhaps a minute and did not address his political future.
The story casts a pall on one of the most strident opponents of online gambling in America. According to a story on wickedchopspoker.com:
A married father of three, Spitzer is best known as the corruption-busting former Attorney General of New York where he was a major force in stopping credit card companies from dealing with online gambling sites and who famously prosecuted the landmark case against Jay Cohen and World Interactive Gaming Corp.
In 2003, just ahead of the online poker boom, Spitzer said that credit card companies transacting with online gambling sites have “enabled gamblers to wreak sudden financial devastation on themselves and their families. In this insidious form of gambling, no physical or financial barrier insulates the gambler from the potential for significant financial losses.”
