March 12, 2008
Posted: March 12th, 2008 08:19 PM ET
Report: 'Kristen' is Ashley Youmans -- now known as Ashley Alexandra Dupre.
Report: 'Kristen' is Ashley Youmans - now known as Ashley Alexandra Dupre.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - Federal agents have determined New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer used a high-priced call-girl ring at least eight times in recent months, and agents had him under surveillance twice this year, sources familiar with the investigation said Wednesday.

Spitzer announced his resignation Wednesday, two days after reports of his connection to the Emperors Club VIP became public.

He has not been charged with a crime.

He told reporters Wednesday, "I cannot allow my private failings to disrupt the people's work."

The resignation will take effect Monday. Watch Spitzer resign »

The sources said the investigation began when New York's North Fork Bank notified the Treasury Department about suspicious transfers of money from Spitzer's bank accounts. That investigation led agents to the alleged organizers of the prostitution ring, four of whom were charged in a criminal complaint last week, the sources said.

A grand jury in New York is likely to hear evidence in the case soon, said Kathleen Mullin, an attorney who said she represents one of the ring's employees. Mullin would not identify her client, but said she was not the woman identified only as "Kristen" linked to Spitzer in court papers.

She said her client and other women who worked for the Emperors Club have been asked to testify before the grand jury.

Asked if her client had any encounters with Spitzer, Mullin said, "We have no information regarding the governor."

Wiretaps on suspected members of the ring, authorized in January, yielded more than 5,000 telephone calls and text messages and another 6,000-plus e-mails, according to court papers. In those intercepts, the organizers told clients how to arrange and pay for their trysts, a federal agent's affidavit states.

The affidavit identified clients by number, with Spitzer designated "Client 9," a source with knowledge of the investigation told CNN this week. Sources familiar with the investigation said federal authorities Wednesday were trying to clamp down on leaks of the investigation's details. See a timeline of the investigation »

The affidavit states "Client 9" paid $4,300 for 2½ hours with a call girl he arranged to meet at Washington's Mayflower Hotel, with some of that a deposit on a future session. Court papers state he also paid for train tickets, cab fare, mini-bar and room service charges for Kristen - a 5-foot-5, 105-pound brunette he arranged to meet the night of February 13.

Kristen is a 22-year-old would-be singer from New Jersey, The New York Times reported Wednesday.

The newspaper said Ashley Youmans - now known as Ashley Alexandra Dupre - was identified in court documents as Kristen.

Full story

Filed under: Elliot Spitzer


John Rossi   March 13th, 2008 1:32 am ET

WHO CARES!!! God! i am american also, and all I have to say is if Americans would stop worring about their officials sex life and worry about the government, maybe I would go back to the US. Take lessons from France. My god... he likes sex. He cant get it normally. I am thankful he at least has the drive for it. Makes me feel safe inside. Wake up America.

Michael, North Carolina   March 13th, 2008 1:08 am ET

Gov. Spitzer did the right thing by stepping down.

I MUST SAY THAT KEITH OLBERMANN IS AWESOME! HE LET SEN. CLINTON KNOW THAT SHE WAS WRONG FOR NOT "REJECTING AND DENOUNCING" GERALDINE FERRARO'S COMMENTS ABOUT SEN. OBAMA

"SHAME ON YOU SEN. CLINTON" "SHAME ON YOU SEN. CLINTON".

YES WE CAN
OBAMA/EDWARDS '08

fefee,ok   March 13th, 2008 1:05 am ET

this is a really sad story. i do not understand why men in political offices will put their repetition on the line just for the pleasure of sex. they leave their beautiful and educated wives at home. my regards goes to his wife and children. he should have learned from god father of scandal, (Bill Clinton).

William Courtland, Waterford, Ontario   March 13th, 2008 12:53 am ET

This is not just prostitution but an act of treason; right?

Jen   March 13th, 2008 12:37 am ET

Oh gosh...who cares! Hillary supporters are all corrupted and deceitful...no surprise here.

Jon W   March 13th, 2008 12:35 am ET

Such a shame.

"I have nothing but contempt for the kind of governor who is afraid, for whatever reason, to follow the course that he knows is best for the State; and as for the man who sets private friendship above the public welfare – I have no use for him either..."

-Sophocles' "Antigone" -

Chris in Va.   March 13th, 2008 12:31 am ET

It sure makes you wonder who (or is it whom?) in New York Client #1 is??!!??!! 10 to 1 odds he has a Harlem address and goes by the moniker "Slick Willie". Now what New Yorker could possibly be client #2??

JH   March 13th, 2008 12:30 am ET

UR WIFE CAN RUN BE PREZ TOO like slick willie

nyindependent   March 13th, 2008 12:20 am ET

As a New Yorker, I'm saddened. As an observer of politics, I'm not surprised. The resigning was the right thing to do. My hope now lies in Patterson.

SheisHOT!!   March 13th, 2008 12:09 am ET

Regardless of the scandal...Gentlemen..She is HOT!!

Have you seen the pictures on Yahoo..Wow!

Timmy   March 12th, 2008 11:50 pm ET

Thank god it was with a woman!!!

Ron   March 12th, 2008 11:43 pm ET

Big deal..New York has a Governor that paid $80,000 for sex, Detroit has a Mayor that paid $8 million of tax payers money to coverup an affair!! He has told everyone he isn't going anywhere, and the media needs to quit picking on him...now that is ARROGANCE!!

David in KC   March 12th, 2008 11:39 pm ET

Who Cares?

Dave, Atlanta, GA   March 12th, 2008 11:39 pm ET

$4300 for sex? Wow. It must really be hard being a politician.

TheLeftNut   March 12th, 2008 11:25 pm ET

Well, who are the other clients.

Anyway...

Spitzer = Ztupid

Ferraro = Spitzer

Gerry   March 12th, 2008 11:10 pm ET

After seeing Ashley's picture, the least CNN could do is publish her phone number. She's one hot babe; I can understand Spitzer's smittance.

On a more serious note, for what it's worth, I think the guy was set up. A crusader like he was makes a lot of very resourcefull, connected, and nasty enemies. He fought and defeated a lot of very powerfull forces that came back and bit him.

I hope the press keep digging and really uncover the entire story. This one has legs and could go on for quite some time.

I also hope when the whole truth is uncovered, the news guy/gal that uncovers it has the nerve to publish the facts, because it will be a lot more shocking than what we've seen so far.

Laffy Taffy, SomeWhereNDaWorld   March 12th, 2008 11:09 pm ET

At the rates that these girls get paid, he could have called me and used cash instead of wire transfers to keep tracking under the radar. I can't imagine who would spill the beans. I would work weekends only and work full-time on a job to have benefits and retirement. Now that is playing it smart.

Elaine MA   March 12th, 2008 11:06 pm ET

Wife should leave him and take the children, the houses, the boat and all the money, MORE IMPORTANT"'Gerry Farraro..has the gut's to tell the truth!!!!!why is BO ashame of his middle name?????racism is alive in our country...ask michelle obama???
.

Anonymous   March 12th, 2008 10:39 pm ET

If Gov Spitzer used any taxpayer money or time for his trysts he owes NYS taxpayers more than an apology, we want a refund. Altough he has personal wealth his money from his salary needs to be accounted for.

Richard from Detroit and Dearborn   March 12th, 2008 10:29 pm ET

You got to be kinding me man!!!!!Are you sure you didn,t get him mixed up with that Patterson guy, you know about being legally blind, I mean , just look at her .I seen the rest of her on Fox.. " YUK".He has a beautiful hot wife, what happen did he fall down and smacked his head on the sidewalk.Rich folks do crazy things.

horace from The Golden State   March 12th, 2008 10:25 pm ET

fame, fortune, egotism, fantasy, mystery, a rush, midlife crisis, gambling, an allmighty syndrome, and the all-to-familiar testosterone. this is what it's all about. Go to the movies sometime and you'll see it often. Watch late nite TV or HBO. The movies are fiction but the stories are true.

Are You Kidding   March 12th, 2008 10:24 pm ET

Spitzer should be ashamed. This girl is not that much older than his own kids. It's sad.

Kevin in DC   March 12th, 2008 10:20 pm ET

The general public, mostly men at least, continue to view prostitution as a victimless crime...simply as "no big deal" and "boys will be boys."

These ignoramuses need to be made aware–there is a well-documented connection between prostitution and global sex trafficking (i.e. modern day slavery).

The U.S. government has articulated the connection on the State Department's Web site.

Ms. Stanley and her colleague, Mr. Bob Herbert (op/ed NYT), have written extensively on this issue. Read their articles.

Inform yourselves.

Fight this underground slave trade that has been glamorized by the entertainment industry and the media.

Mad in Texas   March 12th, 2008 10:12 pm ET

What a pocket book. Why pay for something that is free? Dummy!

kelly WI   March 12th, 2008 9:48 pm ET

ugh. Well, I guess it wasn't her face he was looking at.

Saad   March 12th, 2008 9:44 pm ET

From all the pressures of his job as a NY Governor to his conscious yelling back at him each time he spoke of moral duties, where did he find the time to call the call-girls eight times in eight months……

Go Viagra! I hate Pfizer and all these companies who are directly responsible for turning the ok looking individuals to evil doers.

ariel   March 12th, 2008 9:38 pm ET

Clinton/Spitzer 08 For A Mighty Fine Time!!

JJ   March 12th, 2008 9:37 pm ET

15 min of fame a life time of shame. Meantime the country is going down the toilet, Could CNN do a report on OIL going to 110 dollars a barrel God help us!

Jay in Kansas   March 12th, 2008 9:28 pm ET

you found her myspace page?! this is not news reporting.

Yes he should step down and he was wrong. Next story

Patrick   March 12th, 2008 9:24 pm ET

Who cares? It's over and done with. Why is the media harping on this? The POS is resigning, so please get back to covering the important stuff like I don't know...the war in Iraq? the Presidential election?

I care about a lot of things, but who Eliot Spitzer paid to have sex with is not one of them.

Charlotte   March 12th, 2008 9:19 pm ET

Who are the clients? They should be put on display and subject to public ridicule. I know in our town they started going after the Johns and printing their names in the paper. Made for interesting reading to say the least.

bond   March 12th, 2008 9:17 pm ET

The Spitzer-Blitzer joke was pretty funny on Letterman

dan   March 12th, 2008 9:13 pm ET

Spitzer's wife is hotter than this 'kristen'...

Bob   March 12th, 2008 9:06 pm ET

What is it with this country and sex? Can't a man hire a woman for for-hire love anymore?

Dan, Michigan   March 12th, 2008 9:05 pm ET

Sounds like a normal use of hard earned tax-payer dollars to me. Problem is, we metaphorically dug only five feet to find this conspiracy. Just imagine how many more folks we would find if we dug a little deeper – yuk!

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