Spitzer
NEW YORK (Legal Newsline) - Eliot Spitzer might have lost his job as New York's governor because of a prostitution scandal, but he apparently won't lose his freedom.
On Thursday, U.S. Attorney Michael Garcia said his office will not file criminal charges against Spitzer, once the state's attorney general. Garcia said there was a lack of evidence that Spitzer either misused public or campaign funds or made payments to the Emperor's Club prostitution ring, Newsday reported.
"I appreciate the impartiality and thoroughness of the investigation by the U.S. attorney's office, and I acknowledge and accept responsibility for the conduct it disclosed," Spitzer said in a statement.
"I resigned my position as governor because I recognized that conduct was unworthy of an elected official."
Spitzer's involvement with the ring made national news in March, and he resigned his post during that month.
Spitzer is married with three children. He was elected Governor in 2006 after receiving 69 percent of the vote, and Andrew Cuomo took his spot in the Attorney General's Office.
Spitzer was commonly seen as an activist attorney general, and was ranked the third-worst state attorney general in recent history by the Competitive Enterprise Institute in a report released last year.
During his time as AG, Spitzer was known for his bid-rigging investigations in companies in the insurance industry. Marsh & McLennan settled the allegations for $850 million, and other companies followed suit.
From Legal Newsline: Reach John O'Brien by e-mail at john@legalnewsline.com.