Spitzergate Links: Scandal and Political Fallout

Elliot Spitzer, New York governor and Sheriff of Wall Street will now forever be known as Client No. 9. and you can check it all out here.

I was stunned to catch the breaking news on Bloomberg radio Monday afternoon, and when the link to the live press conference failed, I switched to 1010 WINS in time to catch it.

What a stunner!

The story has now split into two tracks: the prurient and the political.

Anyone who wants to know the what, where, when, why, who and how of Spitzer's pay-to-play will get their fill soon enough.

The man who once threatened the head of Goldman Sachs with 'war' now finds the tables turned. Cheers went up on the floor of the stock exchange when the news broke, and some think it not an accident that his bank was so scrupulous about reporting the unusual activity in his bank accounts.

Google reported that since yesterday, 9 out of 10 searches have involved the word 'Spitzer'. The mighty New York Times -- which broke the story on its website early Monday afternoon -- had its servers nearly brought to their knees: page load time increased from an average of 3 seconds to 20 seconds. Enquiring minds want to know!

As a public service, I am posting a few choice links below --

New York Times - Broke the story (its encyclopedic coverage at bottom of this page):

• "Spitzer Is Linked to a Sex Ring as Client" -- Final version of THE breaking story.
• "Revelations Began in Routine Tax Inquiry" -- 'Suspicious activity' in his personal bank account.
• "The Method of Payment May Decide Any Charges" -- Wire transfers across state lines. Hmmm.
  

Wall Street Journal:

• "Spitzer Engulfed in Sex Scandal"
• "Wall Street Cheers As Its Nemesis Plunges Into Crisis"

Fox News: "Sources: Spitzer to Resign Following Reports of 'Involvement' With Prostitution Ring"
Daily News: "Gov. Spitzer tied to prostitution ring"
NY Post: "NY's Naked Emperor" -- Lurid, of course.
NY Sun: "Spitzer's Future as Governor in Doubt"
NY Observer: "McCall Says Paterson Is Ready" -- NY's Lt. Gov. would serve out balance of term.
Village Voice: "How Spitzer Scandal Could Help Joe Bruno" -- NY's GOP heavyweight.

Star-Ledger:

• "For Jersey leaders, uncomfortable echo of '04"
• "Americans can stomach a sinner but not a hypocrite"
• "A lucrative club counted on discretion"

Politico: "Spitzer's sudden fall throws shrapnel across political landscape" -- Including Hillary.
WashPost: "Shock and Smirks on Wall Street"
Harper's Magazine: "Spitzer Sex Sting: A Few More Questions" -- Bush DOJ bags another Dem gov.
Slate: "Spitzer Gets Spitzered" -- Bagged by technique he pioneered.
Valleywag: "Three things you can learn from Client No. 9"

New York Times - Encyclopedic -- of course! -- coverage:

• "Spitzer Is Linked to a Sex Ring as Client" -- Final version of THE breaking story.
• "Revelations Began in Routine Tax Inquiry" -- 'Suspicious activity' in his personal bank account.
• "The Method of Payment May Decide Any Charges" -- Wire transfers across state lines. Hmmm.
  
• "White Knight to Client 9: A Stark Fall" -- His style and the Wall Street reaction.
• "Eliot Spitzer's Apology" -- Video of the press conference.
• "Milestones in an Ambitious Career" -- An interactive timeline.
• "Podcast: The Back Story" -- A podcast with the Times' Sewell Chan.
• "The Criminal Complaint" -- Text of the Federal criminal complaint (PDF).
• "Prosecutor's Press Release" -- Text (PDF).
• "Affidavit: Client 9 and Room 871" -- FBI agent's report.
• "The Days Under Scrutiny" -- Hour-by-hour, Feb. 11 through 14.
• "Spitzer Allegations Send Wave of Shock" -- Reactions: Albany to Wall Street to Main Street.

-- Dan Damon

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