Happy Birthday, Eliot!
It's a big day for Eliot Spitzer! First off, it's the disgraced governor's birthday: Yes, 49 years ago today, Bernie and Anne Spitzer were responsible for brining Eliot Laurence Spitzer into this world. But it looks like he won't be able to relax and truly enjoy the special day. According to the Post, prosecutors have such a strong case against him, they didn't even have to bother to offer Mark Brener, the ringleader of the Emperors Club, a sweet deal to cooperate with the investigation. Brener is expected to spend 30 months in prison on money-laundering and prostitution-conspiracy charges after he pleads guilty on Thursday.
Prosecutors have records of Spitzer's transactions, phone records and taped conversations with Emperors Club, and are confident they need little more to nail him on charges that could include violating prostitution laws and money laundering, sources said. Probers are also said to be looking into whether he used campaign funds to pay for his pleasures.
But as the "noose tightens," according to the Post, Spitzer seems to be intent on getting back to business. He's now looking to start up a "vulture" investment fund to "scoop up distressed real estate assets around the country, revamp them, and flip the properties for a profit." That's the way to redeem your battered reputation! Profit from the misery of others! Or maybe Spitzer should just pack his bags and move to Paris: "Europeans, the former governor has noted, have been especially supportive of him and perplexed by the fallout from the scandal."