NY Governor Eliot Spitzer involved in a prostitution ring?! He’s making an announcement at this very moment, so expect updates soon. NYT here, CNN here, AP (brief) here.
UPDATE #1: [Unconfirmed] Lieutenant Governor David Paterson is now Governor.
UPDATE #2: [Drudge] Gov. Spitzer is expected to resign. No surprise there.
UPDATE #3: [CNN] Gov. Spitzer apologizes for acting in a way that “violates his obligation to his family.” He didn’t take questions after his statement.
UPDATE #4: [NYT] “Spitzer has been caught on a federal wiretap arranging to meet with a high-priced prostitute at a Washington hotel last month.” Only the best for The Crusader.
UPDATE #5: [NYT] An excerpt from Spitzer’s speech:
I want to briefly address a private matter. I have acted in a way that violated the obligations to my family and that violates my — or any — sense of right and wrong. I apologize first, and most importantly, to my family. I apologize to the public, whom I promised better. I do not believe that politics in the long run is about individuals. It is about ideas, the public good and doing what is best for the State of New York. But I have disappointed and failed to live up to the standard that I expect of myself. I must now dedicate some time to regain the trust of my family. I will not be taking questions. Thank you very much. I will report back to you in short order. Thank you very much.
I assume that his “report back” will include his resignation, as rumored.
UPDATE #6: [Drudge] Lt. Gov. Paterson could be sworn in as early as 7pm tonight.
Here is a .pdf of the complaint, courtesy of the Gray Lady.
http://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages/pdf/nyregion/20080310spitzer-complaint.pdf
According to NY.Gov, Lieutenant Governor David Patterson is now Governor.
Ok, scratch that, I can’t confirm it. On the Google search results page, it lists Governor Patterson but on the actual state home page it still says Governor Spitzer. I’ll keep on searching for more details!