Posted on 11/25/2008 1:01:54 PM PST by reaganaut1
ALBANY — Eight months after a federal investigation into a prostitution ring brought about the downfall of Gov. Eliot Spitzer, the question still persists in some circles: Was the federal government out to get Mr. Spitzer?
No evidence has surfaced to support such an assertion, and investigators have said that politics played no role in their pursuit of Mr. Spitzer. But that has not put to rest suspicions, expressed on left wing blogs, that Mr. Spitzer, a zealous pursuer of Wall Street wrongdoing who some thought could one day be president, had been singled out.
Now, a congressional committee has called for what would be the first public examination of the events that prompted the initial inquiry into his bank transactions, which showed he was sending money to a front company for Emperor’s Club V.I.P.
The House Financial Services Committee intends to take up the matter early next year and tentatively plans to hold hearings that could include testimony from the United States Treasury’s law enforcement unit, along with Mr. Spitzer’s bank, North Fork, and HSBC, a bank used by a company connected to the prostitution service.
“The question was: Why were they looking for this? Is this political retribution?” said Representative Michael E. Capuano, a Massachusetts Democrat and a member of the committee who has been critical of the increased scrutiny of banking transactions, which increased greatly under the passage of the Patriot Act.
“It raises questions in my mind that he may have been targeted for political purposes,” he said, adding that he had no evidence that suggested as much.
The committee’s interest in the matter surfaced in e-mail messages obtained by The New York Times as part of a Freedom of Information request.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
If they really were, wouldn't they have prosecuted him?
Bush’s fault.
No, WAIT!
Palin’s fault.
So the planet is in the middle of the biggest financial crisis in history (so we are told) and the Rat Finance Committee wants to waste time investigating why this criminal was investigated? We are so screwed.
The Republicans just don’t get it.
It is perfectly okay for a Democrat to use his political position to attack and destroy his political opponents and enemies.
It is NOT okay for a Republican to do it.
I don’t know WHY!! I just know... THOSE ARE THE RULES!
Yes, one can bet there are many pols and wallstreeters who use prostitutes......
This story broke and what was pointed out was the monetary transactions. Spitzer lost his first bid as AG when it was discovered that he engaged in some highly complex monetary transactions (designed to obfuscate the source).
Normally, this is called money laundering.
It’s upsetting that no one is looking into this more.
Of course. When Communism was uncovered in America by Congress, the socialists turned it into a trial of Sen. McCarthy and his team (reportedly giving unearned vacation to a soldier).
The courts do not offer justice. They have been infiltrated by The Party.
This is silly and was explained at the time.
Banking regulators files an SAR (suspicious activities report) when they saw Spitzer transferring amounts greater greater than $10,000 to the same destination but breaking it up into smaller transactions.
Now, I know the Dems are stupid.. but are they really stupid enough to open up this can of worms again???
Of course he was singled out. Duh! He was getting too close to investigating some very wealthy and well connected Wall Street types and bang, the game was over. This is not rocket science. The more interesting question is how many people he let slide because they had threatened him with exposure on his girly habits some time ago! Spitzer was an arrogant SOB with delusions of Godhood. But messing with the super rich is not the wisest way to make a living. He found out.
i thought a bank official blew the whistle due to the new laws.
Why on earth would they be worried about what kind of spankings Spitzer had??
That’s just too much kinky stuff going on with this weirdo!
POLICE OUT TO GET CRIMINALS
ACLU Files Suit to Stop
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