The Feds have Spitzer over a barrel, they have cellphone calls, text messages, wire transfers. Spitzer is pretty much cornered, and the Feds and Spitzer knows it. Spitzer has to make a plea deal, he would be toast if he goes to trial.
Vitter may have done the same thing as Spitzer, but the Feds have only circumstantial evidence against Vitter, ie phone records. A case against Vitter would be much more difficult to get a conviction.. Vitter's defense could be he was calling for something else, or technically he didn't make a solicitation on the phone but more of an inquiry and decline to pay for a prostitute. However, if the Feds wanted to open an investigation on Vitter for some of the same things as Spitzer is in big trouble for, structuring and money laundering, besides possible tax evasion. The Feds could probably hit pay dirt.
I wouldn't consider this a partisan issue in the sense, Spitzer was playing an incredibly reckless game. If Hillary won the presidential election, Spitzer would had been on the short list as potential Attorney Generals, it is better he was caught now than later.
The only thing that is partisan issue is that the IRS or DOJ could seriously investigate Vitter for any financial irregularities connected to his use of prostitutes. Given he has admitted in public about them, and I don't know what is the statue of limitations for any financial crimes like laundering, structuring and tax evasion.
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it is the evidence at hand
The Feds have Spitzer over a barrel, they have cellphone calls, text messages, wire transfers. Spitzer is pretty much cornered, and the Feds and Spitzer knows it. Spitzer has to make a plea deal, he would be toast if he goes to trial.
Vitter may have done the same thing as Spitzer, but the Feds have only circumstantial evidence against Vitter, ie phone records. A case against Vitter would be much more difficult to get a conviction.. Vitter's defense could be he was calling for something else, or technically he didn't make a solicitation on the phone but more of an inquiry and decline to pay for a prostitute. However, if the Feds wanted to open an investigation on Vitter for some of the same things as Spitzer is in big trouble for, structuring and money laundering, besides possible tax evasion. The Feds could probably hit pay dirt.
I wouldn't consider this a partisan issue in the sense, Spitzer was playing an incredibly reckless game. If Hillary won the presidential election, Spitzer would had been on the short list as potential Attorney Generals, it is better he was caught now than later.
The only thing that is partisan issue is that the IRS or DOJ could seriously investigate Vitter for any financial irregularities connected to his use of prostitutes. Given he has admitted in public about them, and I don't know what is the statue of limitations for any financial crimes like laundering, structuring and tax evasion.