On Monday, March 10, 2008, the latest in a series of scandals rocked the halls of the New York State Capitol and less than two days later a resignation was announced. The story engulfed the Capitol as news broke that Governor Eliot Spitzer faced allegations of involvement in a high-priced prostitution ring known as the Emperor's Club VIP.

Governor Spitzer was apparently known within the ring as "Client 9." Ironically it was not the relationship with prostitutes that started the case, however. The case began when banks noticed a series of cash transfers from several accounts and filed suspicious activity reports with the Internal Revenue Service. The accounts were traced back to Spitzer, leading public corruption investigators to open the inquiry.

Assemblyman Tedisco echoed the sentiments of many saying “…at first, I thought it was a joke.”  Few believed that the man known as “Mr. Clean” and the “Sheriff of Wall Street” could be involved in something as sordid as the New York Times was reporting. Almost immediately the calls for Spitzer’s resignation began and Assembly Minority Leader James Tedisco (R – Schenectady) promised to introduce Articles of Impeachment if the Governor would not step down within forty-eight hours.

In a brief statement on Monday afternoon, with his wife at his side, Governor Eliot Spitzer had the following to say:

Over the past nine years, eight as Attorney General and one as Governor, I have tried to uphold a vision of progressive politics that will rebuild New York and create opportunity for all. We sought to bring real change to New York, and that will continue.

Today I want to briefly address a private matter. I have acted in a way that violates my obligations to my family, and 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’s best for the state of New York.

I have disappointed and failed to live up to the standard I expected of myself. I must now dedicate some time to regain the trust of my family. I will report back to you in short order.

On January 3, 2007, Eliot Spitzer was sworn in as New York’s 54th governor.  He was elected to the office with 69% of the vote and entered the Executive Chamber with what many believed was a mandate from the people.  But on March 12, 2008, he exited state politics with a different kind of mandate.  In a recent Marist poll, 70% of New Yorkers indicated that they believed Governor Spitzer should resign and 66% believed that he should be impeached.  Governor Eliot Spitzer’s fall from grace took only fourteen months, but the fall was fast and the landing hard.

On Wednesday, March 12, 2008, Governor Eliot Spitzer addressed the media once again.  He announced his resignation effective March 17, 2008, and said, “The remorse I feel will always be with me… I look at my time as governor with a sense of what might have been.”

New Yorker’s Family Research Foundation (NYFRF) calls upon Christians across New York State to pray for Governor Spitzer, his wife Silda, their three teenage daughters, Elyssa (17), Jenna (15) and Sarabeth (13).  NYFRF also asks Christians to intercede for our state, its leadership and especially our new Governor, Governor David Paterson.