ABC News reports that embattled NY Gov-for-the-moment Elliot Spitzer got an unsolicited testimonial:
A 22-year-old escort found on another call-girl Web site claimed to ABC News in a phone interview that Gov. Eliot Spitzer had been one of her customers two years ago when he was New York attorney general and that he was a nice guy who tipped well.
“He didn’t do anything that wasn’t clean,” she said, adding that she knew who he was because he had made calls from the attorney general’s office in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Okay, maybe she should not have mentioned he made calls from the AG’s office. But he was clean! Mrs. Spitzer can breathe a little easier with this reassurance from Escort No. 2 — who seems to have the “blurry face syndrome” so common in the world’s oldest profession.
While 22-year-old Escort No. 2 defends him on a claim of personal knowledge, FDL’s Jane Hamsher continues to defend him on the basis of personal ignorance:
I’ve been poking around this all day, but even a best case scenario has a bunch of cash transfers by Spitzer triggering suspicious activity reports (SARs), which BDBlue helpfully explains here. The IRS is informed, and because it’s a political figure and they’re worried about, say, blackmail they refer it to the Justice Department.
***
So the DoJ figures out it’s not structuring — Spitzer is not breaking the law they thought he was breaking. He’s not trying to avoid triggering federal reporting requirements, that really is what some five-diamond Emperor’s Club girl costs…
But rather than say “okay, he’s not guilt of doing what we thought he was doing, let’s go home” — they seem to be pursuing “money laundering” charges…
Hamsher then quotes, not from from that ABC News link, but this one:
But no time for Spitzer’s stepping aside appeared firm, and two sources said that at the moment Spitzer’s lawyers are in discussions with federal prosecutors concerning which charges the governor might face. According to lawyers close to the federal investigation, a key charge around which any prosecution or more likely pre-prosecution plea deal revolves is a money laundering one: the transfer of money to fund an unlawful activity, in this case, prostitution.
Jane, you ignorant blogger — what do you think “structuring” is? (hint: notice the frequent IRS references to “money laundering.”) Structuring encompasses transactions that are part of a plan to violate federal laws and financial reporting requirements. And it is a serious crime, regardless of the underlying illegal activity being funded. Spitzer was allegedly engaged in precisely the crime the feds suspected.
Hamsher may think the underlying crime — prostitution – should be legal, but it is not. While it remains illegal, Spitzer’s alleged indulgence in it, and the accompanying financial transactions, would render him a target of blackmail. Or did Hamsher miss that the prostitution ring here has possible links to the Gambino crime family?
Hamsher compounds her ignorance with her conclusion:
But what we know– as Scott Horton suggests — has shades of Siegelman all over it.
Having already debunked Horton here and here, I will add only that the Hamsher-Horton delusions regarding the DoJ and the role of Dark Lord Karl Rove in the conviction of former Alabama Governor Don Siegelman have also been debunked at great length by Louis V. Franklin Sr., the acting U.S. Attorney in the case. And given that Horton accuses the judge in the Siegelman case of having at least the appearance of a conflict of interest (which does not involve the DoJ or Karl Rove), it is worth noting again Horton’s own failure to disclose a blatant conflict of interest in his “reporting” on the Bilal Hussein case.
Get real, Hamsher! Everyone knows it was Obama’s people who set him up, to knock off another of Hillary’s Superdelegates.
But rather than say “okay, he’s not guilt of doing what we thought he was doing, let’s go home” — they seem to be pursuing “money laundering” charges:
That really is bullshit right there. It’s like, oh….I don’t know, like if you were trying to charge someone with a crime and there really was no crime, but a witness couldn’t remember what had transpired, and you were saying, “somebody’s ass is going to jail” so you get the witness for perjury. It’s like that.
Hamster ought to get right on the phone with Spitz and explain all this to him. God forbid he should resign without the benefit of her insight into his legal predicament. He should have the wisdom of an experienced legal professional available to him.
I love it when someone who has no clue as to how investigations and/or prosecutions work (or the law, for that matter)tries to analyze a case.
I wonder if she would consider her application of prosecutorial theories to Scooter Libby.
The Today show was very helpful this morning, doing an interview with one of the ladies from the BunnyRanch, so that we can all see that there’s nothing really wrong with going to a prostitute. She also looked very clean.
Nothing to see here, it’s all very normal behavior you see. Move along.
The Feds take money laundering very, very, very seriously.
First Siegelman, now Spitzer. All is happening as I have foreseen, my young apprentice. Now go down to the planet surface and activate the Selective Hurricane Generator to prepare for the coming elections.
“I’ve been poking around this all day…”
There are jokes there. Have at it.
He was clean? What does that mean to a prostitute? He didn’t expect a kiss?
Oh, my.
Silly horndog!
I was thinking about this last night – Spitzer made $179,000 a year as Gov … so $5000 is 3.6% of his annual income. For AN HOUR. How many similar hours did he wrack up in a year? I mean, you could spend that much on a couch, but then you only need one or two couches, and you’ll have it for a long time.
Unlike, sex with a hooker for an hour.
I’d be PISSED if I was his wife.
Well, let’s see now: Hamsher can’t write very well, her experience with Nedrenalin suggests an inability to positively affect a campaign and her knowledge of law is Elementary as in School.
Hopefully she is a lovely host at her Hollywood parties.
This is an example of the Hamster Doctrine, which Jane explained last year when she was lecturing some weaselly democrat, in action. Never address the charges of your opponent directly, just pivot and attack.
Spitzer was entrapped due to an insane power grab by his own Lieutenant Governor.
You heard it here first.
Spitzer was entrapped due to an insane power grab by his own Lieutenant Governor.
I have a fantasy that Paterson is for Obama, and this was somehow a secret back stab orchestrated by Schumer (Sen Banking committee, Judiciary committee) because he has tired of Hillary. I haven’t worked out the whole fantasy yet, but it is mine.
Hamsher’s definitely not the sharpest tool in the shed, is she?
Jane, last time we checked, money laundering is a crime. That magical letter D at the end of one’s name isn’t a “Get Out of Jail Free” card.
But rather than say “okay, he’s not guilt of doing what we thought he was doing, let’s go homeâ€Â
It’s like the episode of The Sopranos, when Tony is pulled over for speeding and Carmela tells the cop he should be out looking for real criminals.
Also, Jane’s contortionist logic also should explain how prostitution is not the ULTIMATE objectification of women.
“You there, I’d like to buy you for an evening. Not because of the person you are, but because of what’s between your legs.”
Do you think Spitzer ever watched the movie Pretty Woman?
BTW, I think Karl inadvertently invented the word, “blut.”
Carin–
Sex with a couch isn’t very satisfying. Just sayin’.
Fellow Progs, I’m righteously offended by this Booshitler data-mining of American citizens’ free speech banking transactions. It’s Legalized Watergating all over again, and obvious torture. Where is the outrage!
But rather than say “okay, he’s not guilt of doing what we thought he was doing, let’s go homeâ€Â
Two words come immediately to mind:
Merry, Fitzmas.
It’s like the episode of The Sopranos, when Tony is pulled over for speeding and Carmela tells the cop he should be out looking for real criminals.
Really. Notice Jane doesn’t have the guts to deal with the poor people Spitz put in jail for his victimless crime.
“Do you think Spitzer ever watched the movie Pretty Woman?”
If my experience is any example, he was forced to watch it several times over the years by his WIFE! Bet she regrets that now. Also, I wonder how he likes the feel of that unprotected size 8 Prada up HIS rectum about now.
A final thought – $5500/hr PLUS tip? Just when I thought I might be able to swing it. Guess it’s only 4 diamonds or less for me.
OMG, the Hamster is a complete retard. Dumb as a stump.
BB: Heel, meet toe.
HAH- Jane heartache
WNBC/Marist poll say that 7 out of 10 registered Democrats think he should resign, and if he doesn’t, 2/3 think he should be impeached. In a country where only 34% of Americans think George Bush should be impeached, I find that really shocking.
I just wish I had the Champagne franchise on Wall Street, recession or not.
Clean AND well-spoken!
– The Hampster? You mean to say the leader of the small, ugly, stupid wing of the braindead SicFrogs is still blog-slogging along. She reminds Me of the farm hand whos job it is to sloop the wild boar pen by feeding them with a long handed shovel through a hole in the fence, hoping they don’t get ahold of her arm.
– I suppose even when your following is a gaggle of the large crayon spechul bus kids, its hard for a 22 year old counter-culture robot to resist any sort of adulation. Come back in 30 years, and she’ll be just another aging feminazi hippie.
“Spitzer gets defense from 22-year-old escort, Jane Hamsher”
I always *suspected* that Jane Hamsher was really a 22-year-old escort.
Ouch, Pat. That one is going to leave a mark.
well, see, Patterico, that confused me cause I think I’ve seen pictures of her and she’d have to be one hard livin’ 22 year old. oh wait….
I never read liberal blogs, so I just decided to check her site out…I wanted to see a pichur. I didn’t see a picture, but I note that she was a producer of Natural Born Killers. That says a lot to me. Class…nothing but class.