Is the headline on this articlejust released in the New York Times online. This is not to be mistaken for a vindication of the lack of criminality for his actions as described in the press release from the U.S, Attorney:
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.
But Mr. Spitzer is the beneficiary of the looser morality that has become the norm since the Mann Act was made law in 1910. It's history is interesting, used often to prosecute inter racial sexual relations as described in this article.
These words express how some laws never are repealed, but simply become artifacts of history:
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.
But could anyone argue that Eliot Spitzer has not been punished as much as anyone ever has been for hiring a prostitute.
I met him a few times briefly. Once in 1993 when we were both attempting to challenge the existing incumbent in the Democratic primary. We both failed in our attempts, and our political careers diverged sharply soon after!
He has a lovely wife, who gave up her own legal career to rear their children. He was perhaps at his best, his personality most suited, for the role of Attorney General, where there were bad guys that he would go after with energy and a bit too much rancor. But they were bad guys, so it didn't matter to him....or the voters.
As Governor, his lack of tact, and treating his political opponents like they were potential criminals lead to more conflict than was necessary. But had the prostitution activity never taken place, or been disclosed, he could well have been a successful governor. And after that...who knows.
In a moment, his political career was over. Financially, he will do O.K. inheriting his Dad's billion plus real estate empire.
But he never wanted that. His goal soon after he graduated from Harvard Law was public service, and perhaps with it, political power. We will never know where his energy and talent would have taken him.
I guess this is the final curtain of his public career.
Good luck, Eliot.