Spitzer saved from facing federal prostitution charges

NEW YORK — Part-time Gallatin resident and former New York state Governor Eliot Spitzer will not face criminal charges for paying high-priced prostitutes for services and transporting them between states on numerous occasions.

News of his actions broke in March of this year, and caused Spitzer to step down from office amid much criticism and surprise. Spitzer was known for cracking down on prostitution rings and hardened criminals while attorney general for New York.

United States attorney Michael Garcia said Spitzer would not face federal prostitution charges following a nearly eight-month investigation. Although Garcia said Spitzer “arranged for women to travel from one state to another state to engage in prostitution,� he stressed that none of the money used for the transactions came from public or campaign funds and that “the public interest would not be further advanced by filing criminal charges in this matter.�

Spitzer had been governor for roughly a year when the scandal broke. Then 48, he was reportedly identified, through a federal wiretap, arranging to meet a high-priced prostitute at a Washington, D.C., hotel on Feb. 13. He was allegedly identified only as Client 9 by the call-girl service. The prostitute in the case was from a high-end service called Emperors Club VIP. It’s reported that Client 9 spent a total of $4,300 on the night in question.

At the time the story broke, Spitzer addressed the public with these words:

“I have acted in a way that violates my obligations to my family and violates my, or any, sense of right and wrong. I apologize first and most importantly to my family. I apologize to the public, whom I promised better.�

After Thursday’s announcement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Spitzer said that he “appreciates the impartiality and thoroughness of the investigation,â€� and that he “acknowledges and accepts responsibility  for the conduct it disclosed.â€�