# Did the Elliot Spitzer uses prostitutes story break on a News Corp property?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-elliot-spitzer-uses-prostitutes-story-break-on-a-news-corp-property/589362>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 17, 2011, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-elliot-spitzer-uses-prostitutes-story-break-on-a-news-corp-property/589362 "2011-07-17T18:25:26Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\
**Post date:** [July 17, 2011, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-elliot-spitzer-uses-prostitutes-story-break-on-a-news-corp-property/589362/1 "2011-07-17T18:25:26Z")

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Just factual responses please.

How did the Elliot Spitzer and his “girlfriend experience” prostitute story get into the news? Was it a News Corp story first?

Also, how did they claim they learned of the story if they broke it?

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**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\
**Post date:** [July 17, 2011, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-elliot-spitzer-uses-prostitutes-story-break-on-a-news-corp-property/589362/2 "2011-07-17T18:40:30Z")

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Actually picked up through Patriot Act surveillance. Which is what’s wrong with it.

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**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\
**Post date:** [July 17, 2011, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-elliot-spitzer-uses-prostitutes-story-break-on-a-news-corp-property/589362/3 "2011-07-17T18:47:54Z")

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> [@TriPolar](#):
>
> Actually picked up through Patriot Act surveillance. Which is what’s wrong with it.

The prostitution ring was investigated through wire taps, but IIRC, Spitzer’s involvement was discovered when his bank reported the money he was transferring to the service to the IRS. I’m pretty sure the laws requiring such reporting pre-date the Patriot Act.

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**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\
**Post date:** [July 17, 2011, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-elliot-spitzer-uses-prostitutes-story-break-on-a-news-corp-property/589362/4 "2011-07-17T18:55:54Z")

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> [@Simplicio](#):
>
> The prostitution ring was investigated through wire taps, but IIRC, Spitzer’s involvement was discovered when his bank reported the money he was transferring to the service to the IRS. I’m pretty sure the laws requiring such reporting pre-date the Patriot Act.

[Nope](http://www.newsweek.com/2008/03/15/unintended-consequences.html).

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**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\
**Post date:** [July 17, 2011, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-elliot-spitzer-uses-prostitutes-story-break-on-a-news-corp-property/589362/5 "2011-07-17T22:12:13Z")

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Wikipedia [says](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eliot_Spitzer_prostitution_scandal):

[QUOTE=Wikipedia]  
The Eliot Spitzer prostitution scandal began on March 10, 2008, when The New York Times reported that Democratic New York Governor Eliot Spitzer had patronized a prostitution service called Emperors Club VIP.  
[/QUOTE]