Eliot Laurence Spitzer (born June 10, 1959) is an American lawyer, former politician of the Democratic Party and currently a political commentator. He is currently the co-host of Parker Spitzer, a talk-show and punditry forum broadcast on the CNN cable network (U.S.). He served as the 54th Governor of New York from January 2007 until his resignation on March 17, 2008 in the wake of the exposure of his involvement as a client in a high-priced prostitution ring. Prior to being elected governor, Spitzer served as New York State Attorney General.
Spitzer was born and raised in The Bronx, to real estate tycoon Bernard Spitzer. He attended Princeton University for his undergraduate studies and then Harvard Law School for his Juris Doctor. It was there that he met his future wife, Silda Wall. After earning his Juris Doctor degree, Spitzer joined the law firm of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison. Two years later, he joined the Manhattan District Attorney's office, headed by Robert M. Morgenthau, to pursue organized crime. He launched the investigation that brought down the Gambino family's control over Manhattan's garment and trucking industries. In 1992, Spitzer left to work at the law firm of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom and, later, Constantine and Partners.
In the 1998 election, Spitzer defeated incumbent Republican Dennis Vacco by a slim margin to become New York State Attorney General. His campaign was financed by a controversial multi-million dollar loan from his father. As attorney general, Spitzer prosecuted cases relating to corporate white collar crime, securities fraud, internet fraud and environmental protection. He most notably pursued cases against companies involved in computer chip price fixing, investment bank stock price inflation, predatory lending practices by mortgage lenders, fraud at American International Group, and the 2003 mutual fund scandal. He also sued Richard Grasso, the former chairman of the New York Stock Exchange, claiming he had failed to fully inform the board of directors of his deferred compensation package, which exceeded $140 million.
In 2007, Spitzer was inaugurated governor of New York after defeating Republican John Faso in the November election. During his time in office, he proposed a bill to legalize same-sex marriage in New York and issued an executive order allowing illegal immigrants to be issued driver's licenses, which have both attracted controversy. In July 2007, he was admonished for his administration's involvement in ordering the State Police to record the whereabouts of State Senate majority leader Joseph L. Bruno. On March 10, 2008, The New York Times reported that Spitzer was a client of a prostitution ring under investigation by the federal government. Two days later, he announced his resignation as governor of New York, effective March 17, citing "private failings."
On June 24, 2010, CNN announced that Spitzer would be joining the network to host a "round-table" discussion program alongside conservative journalist Kathleen Parker.
Early life and background
Eliot Spitzer was born on June 10, 1959 in the
Bronx, the son of Anne (
née Goldhaber), an
English literature professor, and
Bernard Spitzer, a
real estate mogul. Both sets of grandparents immigrated to New York City in the 1920s. His paternal grandparents were Polish Jews born in
Tluste, Poland. His maternal grandparents were born in the 1890s in
Palestine. Spitzer is the youngest of three children. He was raised in the affluent
Riverdale section of
The Bronx in
New York City. His family was not particularly religious and Spitzer did not have a
bar mitzvah.
He is a graduate of Horace Mann School. After allegedly scoring 1590 on the SAT exam, and went on to Harvard Law School, where he met and married Silda Wall. They married on October 17, 1987, and together they have three daughters. Spitzer was an editor of the Harvard Law Review.
Legal career
Upon receiving his
Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree, Spitzer clerked for
Judge Robert W. Sweet in
Manhattan, then joined the
law firm of
Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison. He stayed there for less than two years before leaving to join the
Manhattan District Attorney's office.
Spitzer joined the staff of Manhattan District Attorney Robert M. Morgenthau, where he became chief of the labor-racketeering unit, spending six years pursuing organized crime. His biggest case came in 1992, when Spitzer led the investigation that ended the Gambino organized crime family's control of Manhattan's trucking and garment industries.
Spitzer devised a plan to set up his own sweatshop in the city's garment district, turning out shirts, pants and sweaters, and hiring 30 laborers. The shop manager eventually got close to the Gambinos, and officials were able to plant a bug in their office. The Gambinos, rather than being charged with extortion – which was hard to prove – were charged with antitrust violations. Joseph and Thomas Gambino, the latter being an extremely high-ranking member, and two other defendants took the deal and avoided jail by pleading guilty, paying $12 million in fines and agreeing to stay out of the business.
Spitzer left the District Attorney's office in 1992 to work at the law firm of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, where he stayed until 1994. From 1994 to 1998 he worked at the law firm Constantine and Partners on a number of consumer rights and antitrust cases.
Political career
In 1994, Spitzer put aside his private practice to concentrate on attaining the elected office of
New York State Attorney General. He lost in the 1994 election but was elected in the next election in 1998. He went on to become one of New York's most recognizable Democratic politicians. On November 7, 2006, he was elected
Governor of New York.
Campaigns for Attorney General
In 1994, long-serving Democratic New York State Attorney General
Robert Abrams decided to leave office after having unsuccessfully challenged
Al D'Amato for the seat of
U.S. Senator from New York in 1992. Several Democrats saw weakness in Abrams' replacement as Attorney General,
G. Oliver Koppell, and ran for the party's nomination, Spitzer among them. At the time, he was young and unknown, and, despite heavy funding from his own family, his campaign ended when he placed last among four candidates for the nomination. Judge
Karen Burstein won. Burstein subsequently lost to Republican
Dennis Vacco in the
general election, part of a Republican sweep that included the election of Governor
George Pataki.
That election of a Republican in 1994 allowed Spitzer to run again in 1998. Now more experienced in party politics, he won the Democratic primary, defeating Koppell, State Senator Catherine Abate, local representative Jeff Orlick, and former Governor's Counsel Charles Davis. He went on to defeat the incumbent Vacco by 48.2 percent of the vote to Vacco's 47.6 percent. He ran for re-election in 2002, opposed by Republican Judge Dora Irizarry. Spitzer won re-election, this time with 66 percent of the vote.
In 2004, The Nation endorsed Spitzer as a possible Democratic candidate for vice president, stating that he was 'the single most effective battler against corporate abuses in either political party'. He was, however, not chosen.
Gubernatorial campaign
On December 8, 2004, Spitzer announced his intention to seek the Democratic nomination for governor of New York. While long rumored, Spitzer's announcement was unusually early—nearly two years before the election. As a result of Spitzer's relative speed in bringing state Democrats to his side, he gained the respect of Democratic leaders nationwide.
New Mexico Governor
Bill Richardson dubbed Spitzer the "future of the Democratic Party" at a fund raiser held in June 2005 for Spitzer's gubernatorial campaign.
In January 2006, Spitzer selected New York State Senate minority leader David Paterson as his choice for Lieutenant Governor and running mate. After announcing his candidacy, Spitzer was endorsed by numerous New Yorkers, including state Comptroller Alan Hevesi and two former New York City mayors, David Dinkins and Ed Koch. On May 30, 2006, Spitzer and Paterson won the endorsement of the New York State Democratic party. A June 2006 Quinnipiac University poll showed him leading Nassau county executive Thomas Suozzi 76-13 percent. On July 25, 2006, he faced Suozzi in a gubernatorial debate held at Pace University in Manhattan, discussing issues such as public authorities and Medicaid. When asked about marijuana, Spitzer stated that he disagrees with medicinal use of the drug, claiming that other medicines were more effective. In the Democratic primary held on September 12, 2006, Spitzer handily defeated Suozzi, securing his party's nomination with 81 percent of the vote.
On October 5, Spitzer, addressing the Empire State Pride Agenda, declared that as governor he would work to legalize gay marriage in New York.
Spitzer was elected Governor on November 7, 2006, with 69 percent of the vote, defeating Republican John Faso and Libertarian John Clifton, among others.
Work as Attorney General
As Attorney General, Spitzer stepped up the profile of the office. Traditionally, state attorneys general have pursued
consumer rights cases, concentrating on local
fraud while deferring national issues to the
federal government. Breaking with this traditional deference, Spitzer took up civil actions and criminal prosecutions relating to corporate
white-collar crime, securities fraud,
Internet fraud, and environmental protection.
A number of experts, including economists, lawyers, and political analysts have commented on Spitzer's active role in public policy debates. The New York Attorney General's office has Wall Street (and thus many leading corporate and financial institutions) within its jurisdiction. Also, the New York Attorney General wields greater than usual powers of investigation and prosecution as to corporations under New York State's General Business Law. In particular, under Article 23-A, § 352 (more commonly known as the Martin Act of 1921), the New York Attorney General has the power to subpoena witnesses and company documents pertaining to investigations of fraud or illegal activity by a corporation. Spitzer used this statute to allow his office to prosecute cases which have been described as within federal jurisdiction.
In January 2005, the president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce described Spitzer's approach as "the most egregious and unacceptable form of intimidation we've seen in this country in modern times".
Spitzer used this authority in his civil actions against corporations and criminal prosecutions against their officers. It proved its usefulness in the wake of several U.S. corporate scandals that began with the collapse of Enron in 2001. Several of these corporations, as well as the brokerage houses that sold their stock, were accused of having inflated stock values by unethical means throughout the 1990s. When inquiries into these allegations by the SEC and Congress failed to gain traction, Spitzer's office used its subpoena power to obtain corporate documents, building cases against the firms both in courtrooms and in public opinion.
Notable cases
In addition to prosecutions and civil actions in the financial sector, Spitzer has pursued cases in both state and federal courts involving pollution, entertainment, technology, prostitution, corruption, occupational safety and health and other fields in which New York plays a part in setting and maintaining national standards of conduct.
Loan investigation
The New York State Senate Investigations committee is considering investigating a controversial multi-million dollar loan the governor’s father
Bernard Spitzer gave him when he ran for attorney general in 1998, a loan the younger Spitzer has acknowledged not being truthful about. Senate Investigations Committee Chairman
George Winner told
The New York Post that subpoenas should be used to find out about the loans. Winner wrote to Senate Elections Committee Chairman Senator
Joseph Griffo that an article profiling Spitzer in
New York Magazine "outlined what may have been a willful effort by Eliot Spitzer and his father to circumvent campaign-contribution limits in New York state law and then conceal their actions." Bucking tradition, the ceremony was held outdoors – the first outdoor inauguration ceremony in New York for over a century. After taking the oath of office, he attended a concert at the
Times Union Center in his honor, headlined by
James Taylor and
Natalie Merchant.
Legislative Measures Supported
Jonathan's Law
Roadblocks to reform
Spitzer's reform-based platform, and his pledge "to change the ethics of
Albany", hit an early roadblock when his ideas on how to fill vacancies in the executive department were defeated by the state legislature. According to the
New York State Constitution, it is the duty of the state legislature to fill executive vacancies. The governor was criticized as unreasonable for admonishing the legislature when it took constitutional actions. The appointment of state assemblyman
Thomas DiNapoli to succeed the disgraced
Alan Hevesi as
Comptroller of the State of New York was a serious blow to the new governor. Spitzer had backed an outside panel to draft a list of qualified candidates; the legislature resisted Spitzer's desires when these included no legislators. Some Assembly Democrats were alienated over the incident, and questioned Spitzer's refusal of extending
patronage to party members seeking local political appointments.
Spitzer's choice was New York City Finance Commissioner Martha Stark, who was selected by a panel that consisted of former State Comptroller Edward Regan, former State Comptroller Carl McCall and former New York City Comptroller Harrison J. Goldin. On February 7, 2007, when the Legislature voted, Stark was one of two names put into nomination, along with Assemblyman Thomas DiNapoli of Long Island, Assembly Leader Sheldon Silver's choice. The final vote was 150 for DiNapoli and 56 for Stark. Stark's main support came from Democrats in the Senate, along with Republicans in both chambers.
Spitzer traveled to the home districts of Democratic assemblymen William B. Magnarelli and George S. Latimer (in Syracuse and Westchester County respectively), and publicly criticized them for their votes on DiNapoli; he had plans to exert similar pressure on other of his party's legislators.
One of Spitzer's key campaign pledges was to reform the state budget process. While the state did pass a budget on schedule in 2007, the ultimate results fell short of what many reformers hoped Spitzer would achieve. The New York Post opined, "Spitzer promised reform, and delivered something completely different" and termed the budget itself "bitterly disappointing."
Spitzer's budget quickly turned into a deficit, as by the end of October it was projected the state would run a deficit exceeding $4 billion for the year. During Spitzer's first year the state payroll increased, aggravating budget problem. Despite increasing the public sector payroll, in late 2007 New York State started leading the nation in lost jobs. The 2008-09 budget includes measures to counter financial effects of the crisis in the financial sector starting in the second half of 2007.
Spitzer was criticized by members of the New York State Legislature for failing to compromise on issues during his first few months as governor. In one exchange, according to The New York Post, Spitzer told New York State Assembly Minority Leader James Tedisco: "Listen, I'm a f - - -king [hyphens sic on Post website] steamroller and I'll roll over you and anybody else", although they reported that neither party had provided the confirmation the Post sought. Spitzer's reputation as a "steamroller" was shared by a plurality of New Yorkers in a Quinnipiac University poll, but by a 3 to 1 margin they believed the tactic had been unsuccessful and had only added to political gridlock.
Tedisco later accused Spitzer of cutting $300,000 of state funding for health care and education grants in the Schenectady area as retaliation for Tedisco's opposition to the Spitzer plan to allow illegal immigrants New York State driver's licenses. Tedisco accused the Governor of "dirty tricks" and "bullying".
In the wake of the controversy involving the "troopergate" scandal involving Bruno, Spitzer was accused of pandering to special interest groups to solidify his base of support. "The governor who took office vowing to clean up Albany has lost so much public support that he is reduced to feathering the nest of the unions and other liberals", wrote Michael Goodwin of the Daily News.
In February 2008, the Washington Post published an op-ed written by Spitzer in which he criticized the Bush Administration for inhibiting States from pursuing predatory lenders.
Proposal to legalize same-sex marriage
In April 2007, Spitzer proposed a bill that would legalize
same-sex marriage in New York. State Senate Majority Leader
Joe Bruno announced his opposition to the proposal. This legislation passed in the
State Assembly on June 19, 2007, but was denied in the
State Senate and was returned to the Assembly.
Controversy over use of State Police for surveillance
On July 23, 2007,
New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's office admonished the Spitzer administration for ordering the State Police to keep special records of Senate majority leader
Joseph L. Bruno's whereabouts when he traveled with police escorts in New York City. At the direction of top officials of the Spitzer administration, the
New York State Police created documents meant to cause political damage to Bruno.
A 57-page report issued by the Attorney General's office concluded that Spitzer engaged in creating media coverage concerning Senator Bruno's travel. The investigation looked into both Bruno's travel and the Senate leader's allegation that Spitzer used State Police to spy on him. Cuomo concluded that "These e-mails show that persons in the governor's office did not merely produce records under a Freedom of Information Law request, but were instead engaged in planning and producing media coverage concerning Senator Bruno's travel on state aircraft before any FOIL request was made." It also suggests that the governor's staff lied when they tried to explain what they had done and forced the State Police to go far beyond their normal procedures in documenting Bruno's whereabouts.
The report cleared Bruno of any misuse of the state's air fleet, which had been alleged. The findings of the report were endorsed by Spitzer’s own Inspector General, Kristine Hamann. Spitzer subsequently announced that he would indefinitely suspend his communications director, Darren Dopp, and reassign another top official. When questioned about his promise to bring ethical responsibility to state politics, Spitzer responded by saying "I will not tolerate this behavior", As of March 2008, four probes by the state Attorney General's office, the State Senate Investigations Committee, the Albany County District Attorney's Office, and the New York Commission on Public Integrity are ongoing.
Controversy over driver's licenses for illegal immigrants
On September 21, 2007, Spitzer issued an
executive order directing that state offices allow illegal immigrants to be issued
driver's licenses effective December 2007. Applicants for driver's licenses would not be required to prove legal immigration status and would be allowed to present a foreign
passport as identification.
On October 21, 2007, the State Senate voted to oppose the Spitzer plan by a 39–19 vote. Eight Democrats from moderate districts broke with Spitzer on the vote. Spitzer also announced that the expiration dates of temporary visas would be printed on the driver's licenses of individuals living in the country with them. The decision drew derision from the press, as the Associated Press termed this reversal a "surrender." WCBS-TV labeled him "Governor Flip-Flop."
Approval as Governor
As of November 13, 2007, Spitzer's approval rating as Governor was 33 percent, a further decline from his 44% approval rating of October 24, 2007. A later poll showed that New York City Mayor
Michael Bloomberg would defeat Spitzer were he to seek reelection. Two polls in December 2007 showed further erosion in Spitzer's public standing.
Scandal and resignation
On March 10, 2008,
The New York Times reported that Spitzer had previously patronized a high-priced
prostitution service called
Emperors Club VIP and met for over two hours with a $1,000-an-hour
call girl going by the name
Ashley Alexandra Dupré (legal name Ashley Rae Maika DiPietro, born Ashley Youmans). This information originally came to the attention of authorities from a
federal wiretap. Spitzer had at least seven or eight liaisons with women from the agency over six months, and paid more than $15,000. According to published reports, investigators believe Spitzer paid up to $80,000 for prostitutes over a period of several years while he was Attorney General, and later as Governor. Spitzer first drew the attention of federal investigators when his bank reported suspicious money transfers, which initially led investigators to believe that Spitzer may have been hiding bribe proceeds. The investigation of the governor led to the discovery of the prostitution ring.
In the wake of the revelations, Spitzer announced on March 12, 2008 that he would resign his post as Governor effective at noon of March 17, 2008, amid threats of his impeachment by state lawmakers.
Post-resignation developments
Since resigning, Spitzer has become a regular columnist for
Slate and slowly begun a return to the limelight. Close friends have stated that Spitzer spends most of his time with his family, and regularly meets with lawyers in
his father Bernard's real estate office in
Manhattan. Spitzer and his wife have entered
couples therapy because of Spitzer's adultery.
Ethics
On July 16, 2008,
The New York Times made public that Spitzer used campaign funds to pay for two
Mayflower Hotel bookings, $411.06 a piece, where he was suspected to have met with prostitutes. While it remains unclear if Spitzer actually stayed in the hotel on the nights he booked,
The Times has stated that Spitzer met with prostitutes in early 2008. Spitzer declined to comment on the issue.
According to an article published on July 23, 2008 in The New York Times, the state ethics committee is continuing their investigation into his administration's handling of travel records. If found guilty of wrongdoing, he faces a maximum $10,000 fine. The Times also reported that federal investigators are still debating on whether or not to bring about criminal charges against Spitzer for his involvement in the prostitution scandal. Spitzer has declined to comment on the recent developments.
In November 2008, prosecutors in charge of the case announced that Spitzer would not face criminal charges for his involvement in the sex ring citing they found no evidence of misuse of public funds and therefore pressing charges would not serve the public interest. Spitzer offered an apology for his conduct saying "I appreciate the impartiality and thoroughness of the investigation by the U.S. Attorney's Office, and I acknowledge and accept responsibility for the conduct it disclosed."
Media and public appearances
In September 2008,
The New York Times reported that Spitzer was considering entering
philanthropic,
environmental, or
pro bono legal work in an effort to improve his reputation. According to some sources, Spitzer was considering a run for
Senate or
Comptroller in 2010, speculation which Spitzer immediately dismissed.
Spitzer continued to make public appearances and engage in media commitments following his resignation. The Washington Post published a Spitzer opinion piece in November 2008 conveying his analysis of the financial crisis of 2008 and suggested remedies. Spitzer concluded the piece by saying that he hoped the Obama Administration would make the right policy choices, "although mistakes I made in my private life now prevent me from participating in these issues as I have in the past." The following month, Slate magazine published the first of a new series of columns by Spitzer dedicated to the economy. Spitzer also made a number of television appearances in 2009 and 2010, including on The Colbert Report, Real Time with Bill Maher and Campbell Brown, as well as appearing as a substitute anchor on MSNBC.
Spitzer took on various public speaking arrangements, beginning with a discussion with the New York chapter of the Entrepreneurs' Organization on June 17, 2009.
In September 2009, Spitzer joined the adjunct faculty of the City College of New York and is currently teaching an undergraduate course called "Law and Public Policy."
CNN
On June 24, 2010,
CNN announced that Spitzer would be joining the network to host a "round-table" discussion program alongside conservative journalist
Kathleen Parker.
Parker Spitzer is compared by some media outlets to the defunct
Crossfire, will replace
Campbell Brown in the 8:00 p.m.
ET timeslot on weeknights
beginning October 2010.
References
External links
Nonpartisan:
Follow the Money - Eliot L Spitzer 2006 campaign contributions
On the Issues - Eliot Spitzer issue positions and quotes
Biographies and profiles:
National Governors Association - New York Governor Eliot Spitzer
"TIME Crusader of the Year 2002: Eliot Spitzer", by Adi Ignatius, December 21, 2002 issue of Time Magazine
"Eliot Spitzer - How New York's attorney general became the most powerful man on Wall Street" – Profile by Daniel Gross from Slate's "Assessment" column, October 21, 2004
"Corruption probe hits US insurers" – BBC News, 15 October 2004.
"Spoiling for a Fight: The Rise of Eliot Spitzer" by Brooke A. Masters (Times Books, July 2006)
"The Small Laws: Eliot Spitzer and the Way to Insurance Market Reform," by Sean M. Fitzpatrick, 74 Fordham L. Rev. 3041 (2006)
"Power Couples" profile in 02138, October 2006.
Interviews:
Frontline: The Wall Street Fix – from the PBS-series Frontline, dated April 16, 2003.
NOW with Bill Moyers: New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer – Streaming video and transcripts of Spitzer's multiple interviews on the PBS series NOW with Bill Moyers.
"The Pollution Buster" – Interview with Elizabeth Kolbert in Fall 2004 issue of OnEarth Magazine, publication of the Natural Resources Defense Council
Eliot Spitzer: Geithner, Bernanke "Complicit" in Financial Crisis and Should Go - video report by Democracy Now!
Big Think Interview With Eliot Spitzer – video interview with BigThink.com, dated January 28, 2010.
Media coverage:
New York Times - Eliot L. Spitzer collected news stories and commentary
Breaking Legal News - Eliot L. Spitzer Collection of News of Eliot Spitzer
"Corruption probe hits US insurers" – BBC coverage of Spitzer's probe of insurance industry practices, October 15, 2004.
"Spitzer targets music companies" – BBC coverage of Spitzer's prosecution of payola, October 22, 2004
Greg Palast, Eliot's Mess
Greg Palast interview on Spitzer scandal timing
Critics: Greg Palast
Attorney General Watch – blog of the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank, critical of Eliot Spitzer and other state attorneys general.
"Not Spitzer's Job" – article by Alan Reynolds, senior fellow of the Cato Institute, a libertarian think-tank. Reprinted from The Wall Street Journal
The Passion of Eliot Spitzer: Is he telling the truth as he tries to "take people out"? by Kimberley A. Strassel, The Wall Street Journal, May 2006
Eliot Spitzer's Real Agenda... is Eliot Spitzer By Kimberley A. Strassel, The Wall Street Journal, May 2006
[sic">"Power Corrupts: Elliot [sic Spitzer’s Record as N.Y. Attorney General"] By Alan Reynolds, Cato-at-liberty, March 8, 2008.
Reports:
FBI affidavit regarding the Emperor's Club VIP scandal
Spitzer, Eliot, "Predatory Lenders' Partner in Crime: How the Bush Administration Stopped the States from Stepping In to Help Consumers" Washington Post, February 14, 2008
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