What started the Spitzer investigation? It’s not as obvious as you think.
Obligatory troll repellent: Arguing that tilted justice is not justice does not excuse the accused.
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[…] Siegelman Shrugged […]
Palooza
So a bank (perhaps one of those under heavy scrutiny from Spitzers AG office in the past?) reports “suspicious” activities to the IRS (does the bank get to determine what is “suspicious”) and it leads to this? Its too good to be true!
Of course what Spitzer did is unforgivable given his prior prosecutions of prostitute rings. Nonetheless, if it went down as outlined above its a SERIOUS privacy issue as well. Big Brother truly is watching
Kirk Spencer
It doesn’t excuse the accused. But if it turns out to be another Seigleman (sp?) situation, it could get the case dismissed.
oops
It’s the old “if you got nothing to fear” defense.
Brachiator
Thanks for the link. This does not surprise me at all. I wondered why the released documents did not point to more public figures besides the Spitzer.
On the other hand, as I mentioned to a friend about Bill Clinton’s Monica mess, Clinton was so reckless that he gave his enemies a club that they could beat him with.
Spitzer is in the same company. You simply cannot prosecute others for cavorting with hookers and then shell out dough for your own playthings. This goes beyond any theoretical discussions about whether prostitution should be a criminal act, or whether Spitzer should be excused for his actions.
That Spitzer is even waffling on whether or not he should resign is sad. People are not so much outraged as they are saddened by Spitzer’s actions, because they wanted to believe that he would do something about corrupt government see, for example, (Spitzer Allegations Send Wave of Shock). Instead, he has become the poster child for betrayal of the public trust.
Here is a sample reaction from the NYT article:
There were a lot of people looking to take Spitzer down. It’s too damn bad that Spitzer turned out to be so accommodating.
srv
Bank reported? Right. I’m sure Eliot doesn’t know the bank triggers. Someone was trolling his accounts, probably under the Patriot Act and what-not provisions.
That’s one explanation why so many dems are so docile. There’s an Office of Special Plans operating out of the NSA too.
Mithras
He’s guilty of Felony Stupidity, that’s for sure.
Martin
Spitzer might not deserve to be caught given the level of criminality that routinely gets overlooked, but caught he was. If he was targeted, I hope he pulls a shitload of people down with him.
TenguPhule
We need a new rule in Government that anybody playing hide the sausage with people they shouldn’t gets their dick shoved in a blender set on frappe.
BFR
Uhh large cash withdrawals from an account owned by the governor? I’d be concerned if it did not set off alarm bells.
Financial institutions setup all sorts of automated account and transaction monitoring and suspicious account flagging. They invest millions in their fraud detection systems to avoid getting ripped off/embarrassed etc and they maintain close relationship with law enforcement for the same reason.
They see something fishy happening in the guv’s account (such as may hint blackmail or bribery) then they’re pretty much obliged to report it to the authorities immediately. That’s just how it works.
TenguPhule
Big brother is watching you.
Remember, the Computer is your friend.
We’re from the government and we’re here to help.
Martin
Sure, but how come we keep getting these scandals out of officials with no such alarm bells? I don’t mind that Spitzer got busted, I mind all the other shit that doesn’t get busted.
srv
I only do snark.
Eliot Spitzer was the Manhattan DA and State Attorney General. He knows the bank triggers better than the IRS does. Unless the guy was doing crack, he’s not that stupid.
Incertus
Unless the guy was doing crack, he’s not that stupid.
Or it could have been hubris–it wouldn’t be the first time. I’m not suggesting that it is, or that the Bush Justice department (there’s an oxymoron for you) isn’t above abusing its discretion to go after a political rival; I’m just saying that it’s possible Spitzer believed he was untouchable, that he was too smart for the room.
Studly Pantload
‘Zactly.
I’m a bank officer who has worked in a number of the institutions. We — and not just the officers, but the whole bloody lot of us — are regularly indoctrinated in what tell-tale signs to watch for that might indicate criminal activity. Fuck all, our continued employment is predicated on our ability to pass tests about our cognizance of this sort of thing, and about our personal liability if we wilfully overlook the signals. It’s a big momma-poppin’ deal, w/r/t nationally chartered banks, at least, of the banks’ ability to maintain in the good stead of the feds.
Spitzer knew this shit so well he could recite it backwards in his sleep. Know this.
Here’s what gets my curiousity up:
What is it about high-stakes politics that it seems with unfailing uniformity to attact high rollers who play the edges to such an extent that when they get caught doing so, it never fails to be an eyebrow raiser?
Gay druggie hookers. Wide stancers. Bimbos in the lap aboard boats named Monkey-Fucking-Business. Specialized cigar demos in the office of the most fiercely enemy-scrutinized presidency ever.
The bizz seems to lure this breed like yesterday’s dump magnetizes flies.
myiq2xu
Most people wouldn’t be expecting the FBI to wiretap their phones to catch them paying for tail.
Have you ever heard of ANYONE getting caught using prostitutes because their bank called the IRS to report payments going out?
Studly Pantload
Suspicious activity isn’t reported to those panty-waisters at the IRS by federally chartered banks. This is Dept of Homeland Security stuff.
If you’re trying to skirt (no pun intended) anti-money-laundering/anti-terrorism regulations just to hide snootily-priced hanky-panky — well, all the more righteously fucking stupid is that.
Asti
Why? Why should you care who someone is having sex with? That is none of your business. If you want to be a faithful and monogamous human being, that’s your choice, but you have no right to expect such from others. Does who he was having sex with really have anything to do with his job? Not in so far as his job was separate from his personal life. The only thing that damns him is that he went after others who did the same in his professional life.
Chuck Butcher
Geeze, I don’t know for sure about some things, but if I were Democratic Governor of NY and I’d made my way by hanging some of BushCo’s plutocratic buddies I think I’d watch my step. You can’t get me to believe that Spitzer hadn’t at least heard some rumors about Alabama…
It’s pretty hard to complain that it looks like he’s about to get hung up by the offending member to dry. It’s not the sex part of it, it’s the involvement in something he’s prosecuted and the utter stupidity of it.
Damn, I went out for awhile with a gal as good looking as the ones on that page and she was a hell of a lot cheaper date than that. It didn’t work out for various reasons but I sure was never tempted into doing something to have those looks. Whatever else happens to him, going home to wife and kids today had to suck really bad.
srv
From the link:
Why yes, he’s writing checks or making wire transfers to a boys club front to hide bribes… drrrr. How’d that bribe get into his account w/o getting noticed? Did Irony take out Capt. Obvious too?
The stupidest I think Spitzer could be is to have gotten expensive tastes and then started making unusual cash withdrawals. That got attention, and then they tagged him or the bills and followed the money. It doesn’t take “months” to figure out a wire transfer, but it might take awhile to trace bills.
Asti
Sometimes I’m so happy knowing that I’m a fairly underpaid and insignificant human being. I got nothing they want, no power, no influence, no toys they have their eye on. I’m sure glad I was never able to afford that 175 foot yacht I always had my eye on now.
Enlightened Layperson
If the FBI and IRS thought they had evidence that Mr. Integrity was taking bribes, it was perfectly legitimate to investigate it. The question is, what should they have done when they found out he was really just seeing prostitutes? Dropped the whole thing? Treated it as a petty misdemeanor? Alerted the local DA?
I welcome anybody’s input.
Studly Pantload
From what I’ve read, it’s about him arranging for the travel of the call girl in question across state lines, hence the matter becoming a federal case. But that’s just from what I’ve read. So far.
myiq2xu
Glenzilla and Jane Hamster do good take-downs on this, but one of Jane’s commenters points out that it looks like they may have done the wiretap first (FISA!) and “reverse-engineered” the rest to cover-up that fact.
Balconesfault
[quote]Glenzilla and Jane Hamster do good take-downs on this, but one of Jane’s commenters points out that it looks like they may have done the wiretap first (FISA!) and “reverse-engineered” the rest to cover-up that fact.[/quote]
My thoughts exactly. After about a dozen high profile Republican prostitution scandals in recent years, you don’t think there was pressure on the Justice Dept to find one Dem to toss into the mill?
I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a whole list of Dems the Justice Dept knows to have been engaging in prostitution related offenses … along with a politico like Spitzer who a lot of people wanted brought down, maybe there are some who have been told [b]”play ball on this issue, or certain ‘revelations’ will be made[/b]?
Hmm … I’ve been wondering why any Dems would support the Bush Administrations insistance on Telco immunity. If discovery in that case really could lead to evidence on politically targeted wiretapping/e-mail reading (particularly evidence that the White House can’t shred or accidentally delete, since it is locked away in Telco owned records) that might be the place where the Admin pulls out their biggest ammo, eh?
Darkness
>Asti: Sometimes I’m so happy knowing that I’m a fairly underpaid and insignificant human being. I got nothing they want, no power, no influence, no toys they have their eye on
Yeah, I sometimes think that, and then I remember the poor bastards where the cops/feds/fbi/atf/et al just get the freakin’ address wrong. As long as they can be random thugs with impunity, everyone is at risk.
———-
Well, getting Spitzer on his getting some on the side is just like the congress (with a pile of real work already up to their noises) going after pumped up baseball players. Anything these guys can do to avoid going after the criminals that really matter they will do…
Did it injure/damage/cost you that Spitzer paid for a hooker? Me neither. Did it injure/damage/cost you that Countrywide and a pile of other nearly insolvent banks have tapped into the Federal Home Loan fund to the tune of 750 Billion? You betcha. That’s your children and grandchildren working as slaves to the Chinese even longer. So what is the press blathering about today?
Porco Rosso
I for one am happy that Spitzer got busted for his sins. And I rest easy knowing that we can rely on the integrity and the transparency of the Bush justice department. I’m sure that the Bush White House expects the same level of scrutiny that Spitzer has faced, and that is part of the reason why they have been so forthcoming with turning over their emails to Congress.
Cyrus
Yeah. And you know, if the alternative is the usual practice of not prosecuting the johns… stupid hypocritical politician to get caught, politically motivated and maybe even legally dubious investigation in the first place, agree with it all. But if there’s a silver lining, it’s that this may be one of the rare prostitution investigations that goes after the customers. There are big problems with the usual practice of ignoring them and just punishing the prostitutes.
Glocksman
I’m certainly no legal expert, but the transfers out could have been considered evidence that Spitzer was paying bribes to other officials.
ImJohnGalt
Stupid question. Was Spitzer being charged with arranging the cross-state movement of the escort? From my little understanding of the case, the owners of the agency were being charged, as *they* were the ones who arranged her transportation.
Unless they have him specifically quoted as saying “Please bring her down to DC from some other state, and I’ll pay for her flight”, there would certainly be a case to be made that as far as he knew she was based out of DC.
If he’s only being charged with being a john, well, I’d certainly want to know how it was that only his name was leaked.
Tim Fuller
Wiretap law violation used against a target that could not fight back because of his own previous attacks on prostitution. This wouldn’t happen if you elected someone like me who would willingly tell you that although I don’t use prostitutes, it’s nobody’s business if you do. Same way with drugs. Though Elliot will be humiliated for his mis-step, he will likely no be killed as Peter McWilliams was years ago. Stop the fascists….if you can.
Enjoy.