CREW CALLS ON NEW YORK GOVERNOR ELIOT SPITZER TO RESIGN

10 Mar 2008 // In light of today’s New York Times report regarding New York Governor Eliot Spitzer’s involvement in a prostitution ring, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) executive director Melanie Sloan released the following statement:

Given the reports that New York Governor Eliot Spitzer was heard on a wiretap arranging for a prostitute to travel from New York to Washington to meet in his hotel room, it appears that he has violated the Mann Act. This federal law carries a penalty of up to 20 years imprisonment for knowingly persuading or inducing any individual to cross state lines for the purposes of prostitution. Governor Spitzer also appears to have violated District of Columbia law, making it unlawful for any person to engage in prostitution or to solicit for prostitution. This is punishable by up to 90 days in jail, or a fine of up to $500, or both, for the first offense.

CREW’s executive director, Melanie Sloan, said, “Given that Governor Spitzer appears to have violated both federal and D.C. law, the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Southern District of New York and the District of Columbia should cooperate and conduct a thorough investigation of Governor Spitzer’s likely crimes. In addition, the New York Commission on Public Integrity should also consider whether the governor’s conduct violated New York’s ethics rules.”

Sloan continued, “It is completely unacceptable for any government official – much less one who has held himself up as a paragon of virtue – to engage in criminal conduct. Governor Spitzer’s behavior is reprehensible. The citizens of New York deserve better; Governor Spitzer should resign.”

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Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) is a non-profit legal watchdog group dedicated to holding public officials accountable for their actions.

For more information, please visit www.citizensforethics.org or contact Naomi Seligman Steiner at 202.408.5565/nseligman@citizensforethics.org.

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