Report: Spitzer Request to Bank to Limit Payment Info Led to Then-Gov's Resignation
A prostitution scandal that eventually led to former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s resignation from office in 2008 was reportedly sparked by the former state attorney general’s request to a private banker Aug. 6, 2007 to leave his name and account number off of a $5,000 wire transfer to a corporate entity.
Because doing so would have violated rules against money laundering, the bank refused and completed a five-page “suspicious activity report” that listed “NYS Governor” in the occupation slot of the “suspect information” section, reports the Albany Times Union.
It eventually made its way to Manhattan prosecutors who apparently may have investigated the matter more fully because Spitzer and the would-be recipient company, QAT Consulting Group Inc., were both customers of North Fork Bank.
The feds never pursued any criminal charges against Spitzer, focusing instead on the Emperors Club VIP linked to QAT, the newspaper reports.
Hat tip: New York Post.
Related coverage:
Los Angeles Times (book review): ” ‘Rough Justice: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer’ by Peter Elkind”
