This editorial in today's New York Times urges Gov. David Paterson to resign unless he can provide a satisfactory explanation for his role in a legal case involving one of his top aides.

The Times writes:

It now seems clear that, at the very least, [Gov. Paterson] tried to arrange a ham-handed cover-up to avert a scandal involving a top aide. There are also disturbing signs that he or other state officials may have unlawfully intervened to protect the aide from accusations of domestic violence.

... If he can show that he did no wrong, he must do so fully and immediately. If not, he should resign.

The tale is sordid. The governor’s aide, David Johnson, is accused by his former girlfriend, Sherr-una Booker, of attacking her last Halloween. Ms. Booker obtained two orders of protection against him. In her first court appearance, she said that the State Police had tried to stop her from going to court. The judge noted bruises on her arms.

The possibility of a Paterson resignation looms exactly two years to the month after Gov. Eliot Spitzer resigned after revelations that he had been a client of a prostitution ring.

In 2007, New York established a ethics commission to deal with public corruption in state government.  Former Governor Eliot Spitzer formed the commission.  As we all know, Spitzer resigned following a prostitution scandal.  His successor, David Paterson, wants all the members of the ethics panel to quit -- because of leaks made to staffers of then-Governor Spitzer:

Gov. David A. Paterson called Wednesday for the resignations of all 12 sitting members of the state’s ethics oversight commission, hours after a blistering report found that the panel’s director repeatedly leaked confidential information about an inquiry into the Spitzer administration to a top Spitzer aide.

The report of the state inspector general, Joseph Fisch, concluded that the panel’s director, Herbert Teitelbaum, exchanged at least 165 phone calls and held regular dinners over a five-month period in 2007 with Robert Hermann, a close friend who was a member of Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s cabinet.

During these conversations, the report said, Mr. Teitelbaum told Mr. Hermann of the progress and details of the inquiry conducted by the panel, the Commission on Public Integrity, into the Spitzer administration’s handling of the travel records of the longtime Senate majority leader, Joseph L. Bruno.

Under state law, commission investigations are supposed to be confidential. The report also rebuked the commission for failing to investigate the leaks when presented with evidence of them.

The report came as a devastating blow to efforts to improve the ethical climate in Albany, which has been hit by repeated scandals, corruption allegations and indictments in recent years.

No federal charges will be filed against New York's former governor, Eliot Spitzer:

Federal prosecutors say they will not bring criminal charges against former Gov. Eliot Spitzer for his role in a prostitution scandal.

The announcement was made Thursday by Manhattan U.S. Attorney Michael Garcia. Garcia said that after a thorough investigation, his office found no evidence that Spitzer or his office misused public or campaign funds for prostitution.

Garcia said: "We have concluded that the public interest would not be further advanced by filing criminal charges in this matter."

The news removes a huge legal cloud surrounding Spitzer, who was forced from office in March after it was revealed that he paid for high-priced call girls.

Well, both cases involving prostitution. One key difference between Spitzer and Vitter is that Vitter is still holding public office:

Sen. David Vitter, R-La., has been mostly mum on the prostitution scandal that forced Democratic New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer to announce his resignation last week. But Vitter let down his guard a bit in a conference call with constituents. Scott Jordan, editor of the Independent Weekly of Lafayette, said he was able to ask Vitter whether he would resign after his phone number was connected last year to a Washington, D.C., escort service that federal investigators say was a call-girl operation. "I have made a very serious mistake a long time ago and I have to live with that every day," Vitter said, according to Jordan's account. "That's not a flippant statement. I need to spend my whole life making up for that." According to Jordan, Vitter turned "a bit defiant" and added: "Anybody who looks at the two cases will see there is an enormous difference between the two of them. The people that are trying to draw comparisons to the two cases are people who've never agreed with me on important issues like immigration and other things."

Last July, CREW filed a Senate Ethics Complaint against Sen. Vitter. We're still waiting for action on that.

Last week, the National Republican Congressional Committee called on Democrats to return contributions from Gov. Spitzer, but no similar call has been made for Republicans to return contributions from Sen. Vitter. Here's a link to a list of those campaigns that have received campaign contributions from Sen. Vitter.

Yesterday, CREW posed a question:  If Spitzer's contributions are an issue, shouldn't Vitter's be, too?:

In light of the National Republican Congressional Committee’s call for candidates and members of Congress to return soon-to-be former Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s (D) donations, CREW wonders why members and the National Republican Senatorial Committee have not returned Sen. David Vitter’s (R-LA) contributions. As widely reported, Sen. Vitter has solicited prostitutes in the past. Rather than being condemned and ostracized, Sen. Vitter received "thunderous applause" at a Republican Caucus luncheon after his transgressions became public.

Mary Ann Akers, a.k.a. the Sleuth at the Washington Post asked the question a different way (Whose money is dirtier, Client No. 9's or Vitter's?) and went to Capitol HIll to find out. There was no answer from those who brought up this issue in the first place: 

One GOP member who took Vitter cash, retiring eight-term Rep. Deborah Pryce (R-Ohio), tells CREW: fuhgeddaboutit!

"No, we're not giving the money back," Pryce spokesman Rob Nichols told us. "We spent it a long time ago."

Nor does the NRSC plan to return a $25,000 contribution it received from Vitter in the '06 cycle, according to NRSC spokeswoman Rebecca Fisher, who didn't elaborate.

Meanwhile, the NRCC's counterpart and political nemesis, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, is jumping on the hypocrisy bandwagon, too.

"There is certainly no shortage of hypocrisy in the Republican Party," says DCCC spokesman Doug Thornell, who finds the NRCC's crusade against "sleazy" Spitzer money laughable in light of GOP scandals.

"Between the former members wearing orange jumpsuits and the current members under indictment or criminal investigations you could fill a New York City subway car," Thornell groans.

NRCC spokesman Ken Spain says CREW is all but a front for the Democratic Party. "This is the very same Democrat-leaning organization that admitted just one day before that Governor Spitzer's alleged crime is 'more serious' and will likely amount to 'one or more felonies.' We take them at their word and agree with them wholeheartedly."

Though Spain still didn't tell us what makes Republicans think Spitzer's hooker money is any dirtier than Vitter's.

In light of the National Republican Congressional Committee’s call for candidates and members of Congress to return soon-to-be former Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s (D) donations, CREW wonders why members and the National Republican Senatorial Committee have not returned Sen. David Vitter’s (R-LA) contributions. As widely reported, Sen. Vitter has solicited prostitutes in the past. Rather than being condemned and ostracized, Sen. Vitter received "thunderous applause" at a Republican Caucus luncheon after his transgressions became public.

Government officials must obey all laws, not just those with which they agree. We do not, however, advocate returning legal campaign donations made by officials who broke the law when the contributions are in no way tied to the illegal activity. Nevertheless, we note that what is good for the goose should be good for the gander and, therefore, point out the following contributions made by Sen. Vitter:

2006 Cycle:

National Republican Senatorial Committee – $25,000

House members:
Charles Boustany, Jr. (R- LA) – $1,000
Steve Chabot (R-OH) – $2,500
Jim Gerlach (R–PA) – $2,000
Deborah Pryce (R-OH) – $2,000
Mark Souder (R-IN) – $2,000
Heather Wilson (R-NM) – $2,000

Senate members:
Bob Corker (R-TN) – $10,000
John Ensign (R-NV) – $5,000
Orrin Hatch (R-UT) – $5,000
Jon Kyl (R-AZ) – $6,000

2008 Cycle:

Senate member:
Mitch McConnell (R-KY) – $1,000

In light of the revelations about Governor Eliot Spitzer’s use of prostitutes, we are reminded again that the Senate Ethics Committee has so far refused to investigate Senator David Vitter (R-LA), who admitted to using the services of the so-called D.C. Madam to solicit for prostitution. Although Governor Spitzer’s conduct is more serious -- likely amounting to one or more felonies -- both men are high level government officials who have publicly proclaimed their high moral standards. Both should have to live by those standards and be held accountable for their actions. The Ethics Committee should not continue to give Senator Vitter a pass.

There are many questions surrounding the scandal involving New York Governor Eliot Spitzer. But ABC News picked up on one of the most important: Will Spitzer be charged? Because, as CREW noted, there are alleged crimes at the center of this controversy:

Will Spitzer Be Charged?

Whether or not he resigns, the governor may still have to face the legal ramifications of his actions. The U.S. attorney's office refused to comment on the matter Monday but experts say he could be facing serious charges, even though for the moment, he has not been charged with any crime.

"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," said Naomi Seligman Steiner, of the political watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington . "Gov. 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 thinks Governor Spitzer should resign:

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.

In light of today’s New York Times report regarding New York Governor Elliot Spitzer’s involvement in a prostitution ring, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) released this 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, 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.

Melanie Sloan, CREW's Executive Director and a former federal prosecutor, stated:

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.

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.