Eliot Spitzer Resigns As New York Governor

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Eliot Spitzer announced Wednesday morning that he’s resigning his post as New York governor, effective Monday. He made the announcement in his Manhattan office.

As when he apologized to the public for unspecified wrongdoings presumably linked to a prostitution ring, Spitzer’s wife was by his side.

Lt. Gov. David Paterson will take over for Spitzer, making him the first African American governor in New York history as well as the first legally blind person to serve as governor of any US state.

The resignation completes a stunning fall from power for Spitzer after he was nationally disgraced by links to a high-priced prostitution ring known as the Emperor’s Club VIP. According to a law enforcement official, the New York Democrat’s involvement in the ring was caught on a federal wiretap as part of an investigation opened in recent months.

Spitzer is alleged to have spent up to $80,000 with the call-girl service, including thousands of dollars to spend a night with a prostitute named Kristen in a glitzy Washington hotel the day before Valentine’s Day.

In a public apology Monday, Spitzer said he had violated his obligations to his family, and also his sense of right and wrong.

He reiterated those statements at his resignation, saying he’s “deeply sorry” that he didn’t live up to what was expected of him while also “sincerely” apologizing to every New Yorker.

He told reporters, “I cannot allow my private failings to disrupt the people’s work.”

Since the news broke, several Republicans threatened to impeach Spitzer if he refused to step down. And a poll in the aftermath of the scandal suggested that most New Yorkers wanted him to leave.