Governor Eliot Spitzer may be pinned as the “ethical crusader” of modern politics, with his tough stance on white-collar crime and corruption, but he certainly wasn’t immune. His story is another tragic tale of a rising star whose ego-driven escapades led him to public humiliation and an end to his gubernatorial career. This past week, Mr. Spitzer was charged with patronizing an illegal prostitution ring and money laundering, after the FBI was asked to conduct a federal wiretap on the governor’s questionable transactions. Once the evidence came forward, a media firestorm was unleashed. Late-night shows and pundits alike chimed in as coverage of made its way across the Atlantic.
Eliot Spitzer was poised for greatness early in his career as a New York attorney, despite harsh criticisms of his temperament. Many of his former colleagues portrayed him as a dif- ficult man to get along with: aggressive and authoritarian, as he fervently tackled fraud in corporate America. Spitzer came across as a trustworthy and honest politician, with an approach to ethics reform that was almost “Obamaesque.” He won the praise of many of his associates and even made the front cover of Time. As a graduate of Princeton and Harvard Law School, this former prosecutor knew the intense scrutiny placed on prostitution rings. In fact, while in office, he established a law that would enforce stricter sentences for those involved.
Unbeknownst to his family and the public, Governor Spitzer kept a dirty little secret, involving several high-priced call girls and the illegal transferring of funds.What happened to the honest-to-goodness governor from New York? Did he really think that he was immune to any litigation? As far as I know, there isn’t one set of laws for the common people and another for the elite. Perhaps Mr. Spitzer dozed off in one of his classes in law school and missed that point.
It’s still unclear what truly motivated this man to commit adultery, trash his reputation, and put his family into years of therapy, but one can only assume that an individual of such a stature believed himself to be invincible and fully entitled to a little self-indulgence.
The governor has not been tried in court, but could face possible jail time if convicted. Many of his opponents have called for his impeachment, but as of last week, the governor stoically announced his resignation. It’s appalling to see how far some will go to remove this man from office when it’s obvious the crime doesn’t fit the punishment. With the U.S. military death toll looming at 4,000, millions of displaced Iraqis, a volatile economy with an imminent recession, and an out-of-whack immigration system, perhaps the ones who should be facing impeachment are George Bush and Dick Cheney.
Meanwhile, we have the luxury of sitting comfortably on our couches and watching the pundits tear Eliot Spitzer apart. There’s nothing more gratifying than watching a politician’s empire crumble to the ground, especially when there’s a sexual twist. Let’s face it—when a tempestuous scandal involving a prominent figure erupts in the media, we eat it up. Perhaps it’s the self-satisfaction we receive from knowing that even political leaders—as glamorous a life as they may lead—have fl aws and inner demons they must battle, Whatever the underlying reason, as long as politicians continue to screw up while in office (and trust me, they will), we’ll be there for all the drama.
