Demands Mount For New York Governor To Resign
(AP) — Several New York newspapers are calling for Governor Eliot Spitzer’s resignation. In editions that hit the streets Tuesday, the New York Daily News, New York Post and Newsday are all demanding that he step down.
The headline of the Daily News editorial reads: “Hit the road, John … and make it quick!” The Post calls him “NY’s naked emperor.”
Democrats are more supportive of Spitzer. Former New York Governor Mario Cuomo describes allegations that Spitzer was involved in a prostitution ring as “an excructiating personal tragedy for the governor, his family and the rest of our society.”
But New York Republican Congressman Peter King describes Spitzer as “a guy who is so self-righteous, and so unforgiving” – and says, “He has to step down.”
GOP state assembly leader James Tedisco also says Spitzer should resign, “for the good of his family, for the good of our state, for the good of the governorship.”
If Spitzer steps down, it could mean bad news for presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton, who needs every superdelegate vote she can get.
Under party rules, Spitzer, a Clinton supporter, remains a superdelegate only as long as he is governor.
Spitzer is under pressure to resign after a public apology that didn’t elaborate on his involvement in the prostitution ring.
If he quits, Lieutenant Governor David Paterson would be the next in line. Paterson is already a superdelegate, so Clinton would be down a delegate.
It was also announced Tuesday that big cash transfers are apparently what led investigators to check out Spitzer’s alleged involvement in a high profile prostitution ring.
A law enforcement official tells The Associated Press that the money was being put in an account operated by a call-girl ring.
The official insisted on secrecy because of the sensitive nature of the investigation.
The official says Spitzer was tracked by court-ordered wiretaps after banks filed suspicious-activity reports with the Internal Revenue Service. Those transactions got the attention of public corruption investigators.
The official says the money trail revealed Spitzer was a repeat customer of the prostitution service.
It’s not decided yet what charges Spitzer could face.
