Mar 12, 2008 12:10 am US/Eastern
Deadline: Republicans Threaten Impeachment
Report: Spitzer May Have Spent $80,000 On Prostitutes
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
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If Gov. Eliot Spitzer opts to roll the dice and not resign, state Republican leadership may force him to go all-in and call for his impeachment from office, according to a state Assemblyman.
Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images
If Gov. Eliot Spitzer opts to roll the dice and not resign, state Republican leadership will force him to go all-in and call for his impeachment from office, according to a state Assemblyman, who admitted he asked the governor to step down.
Spitzer's resignation is imminent, sources tell CBS 2 HD political reporter Marcia Kramer, but insiders say he's going to use the resignation as a bargaining chip to cut a deal with federal prosecutors. The talks have been going on since Tuesday morning.
One way or another, the clock is ticking on Spitzer's next move.
A throng of media members camped outside Spitzer's Upper East Side apartment on 5th Avenue between 79th and 80th streets Tuesday waiting on his every move. It's believed Spitzer was holed up inside receiving counsel from advisors as he plotted his next move.
Many seem to agree that will happen sooner than later.
State Assembly Minority Leader James Tedisco (R-Schenectady) told CBS 2 HD that Republicans are prepared to begin impeachment proceedings should the governor not resign within a window of about 48 hours.
"We're going to ask the Speaker of the New York State Assembly to call upon articles of impeachment. That hasn't been done in I don't know how many years, but I don't think we can take this distraction," said Tedisco.
Tedisco spoke with Lt. Gov. David Paterson Monday evening and that the two discussed Paterson taking on a new role of leadership, leading Tedisco to believe that action was "forthcoming."
Spitzer, though, was clearly taking the time to examine his legal options. A spokesman said the governor had retained the Manhattan law firm of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind Wharton & Garrison, one of the nation's most prominent.
The news of Spitzer's alleged transgression set off one of the largest scandals in modern New York state political history.
The details of Spitzer's involvement in a high-profile prostitution ring continue to unravel within numerous media reports Tuesday. The news not only shook up New York's political infrastructure, but political pundits who took to heart Spitzer's promise that he'd keep corruption and scandal out of Albany were stunned.
"Eliot Spitzer was supposed to be the guy that refurbished the Democratic party and cleaned up Albany, so this is much more shocking than it would be for any other incumbent," political consultant Norman Adler told CBS 2 HD.
"I'm sure that more champagne is being filled in Albany [Monday] than in the last five years," he added.
And in fact, that appears to be the exact case. Sources told CBS 2 that Republicans were literally popping open bottles of champagne in a festive celebration as if they'd just hit a shared ticket on the Mega Millions.
Their proverbial "jackpot" would of course come with Spitzer's walking papers.
Yet despite the expectations of a resignation, some experts say Spitzer should take the time to weigh his options before stepping down.
"This is one of the most intelligent, brightest elected officials in the region. You don't change governors of New York lightly, and I think it would be a mistake to act precipitously," political consultant Joseph Mercurio told CBS 2 HD.
"I think first things first, he has to resolve his relationship with his wife. He has to look to his rabbi and make personal decisions first," Mercurio said. "It's really initially up to him before the rest of us react."
According to law enforcement officials, when the scandal broke on Monday, prosecutors said in court papers that Spitzer had been caught on a wiretap spending $4,300 with the Emperors Club VIP call-girl service, with some of the money going toward a night with a prostitute named Kristen, and the rest to be used as credit toward future trysts. The papers also suggested that Spitzer had done this before.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a law enforcement official said Tuesday that Spitzer, in fact, had spent tens of thousands of dollars with the Emperors Club. Another official said the amount could be as high as $80,000. But it was not clear over what period of time that was spent.
The governor was always the target of the investigation and was tracked using court-ordered wiretaps that appear to have recorded his arranging for Kristen to meet him at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C. the day before Valentine's Day.
Spitzer allegedly paid for the call girl to take a train from New York to Washington, a move that opened the transaction up to federal prosecution because she crossed state lines. The governor hasn't been charged with any crime, but experts say his legal problems may have less to do with prostitution and more to do with his attempt to conceal the purpose and source of the cash payments.
That could amount to a crime called "structuring," which carries a penalty of up to five years in prison.
In the meantime, aides to Paterson were feverishly working to shore up support and preparing lawmakers for a changeover. Paterson, a Brooklyn native who is legally blind, would become the state's first black governor.
Paterson is said to be more liberal than Spitzer and he's taken the administration lead on issues like stem cell research and increasing the role of minority and women owned businesses in the state.
Stay with wcbstv.com and CBS 2 for the very latest in this developing story.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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