Eliot Spitzer

Eliot Spitzer
Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics · CC BY 2.0 · source
Name	Eliot Spitzer
Birth date	10 June 1959
Birth place	New York City, New York, U.S.
Alma mater	Princeton University; Harvard Law School
Occupation	Attorney, politician, commentator
Years active	1984–present
Party	Democratic Party
Spouse	Silda Wall Spitzer (div. 2013)

Eliot Spitzer Eliot Spitzer is an American attorney, former prosecutor and politician who served as the New York Attorney General and the 54th Governor of New York. He gained prominence for high-profile investigations into Arthur Andersen, Enron, WorldCom, Tyco International, Lehman Brothers, Citigroup, Bank of America, and AIG, and later resigned as governor amid a widely publicized scandal involving a prostitution ring. After leaving elected office, he worked in broadcast journalism and legal consulting and authored commentary on regulatory and financial matters.

Early life and education

Born in New York City to a Jewish family, he was raised in Riverdale, Bronx and attended Collegiate School, where he was active in academic and extracurricular activities. He earned an Artium Baccalaureus summa cum laude from Princeton University and a Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School, where he served on the Harvard Law Review and studied alongside future jurists and academics from institutions such as Yale Law School, Columbia Law School, Stanford Law School, and University of Chicago Law School.

Legal and prosecutorial career

Spitzer began his career as an associate at the law firm Cravath, Swaine & Moore before joining the New York County District Attorney's office under leaders connected to Robert Morgenthau. He became known for cases involving corporate fraud and white-collar crime, working with prosecutors aligned with initiatives from U.S. Department of Justice, Securities and Exchange Commission, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and state-level offices such as Office of the Attorney General of New York. His prosecutorial work brought him into contact with figures and entities like Bernard Madoff, Ivan Boesky, Michael Milken, SEC v. Texaco, and enforcement efforts tied to Sarbanes–Oxley Act-era scrutiny.

New York Attorney General (1999–2006)

As Attorney General of New York, he led investigations and litigation against major corporations and financial institutions including Enron, WorldCom, Tyco International, Arthur Andersen LLP, Lehman Brothers, Citigroup, AIG, and Bank of America. He pursued antitrust and consumer-protection actions with counterparts in offices such as Connecticut Attorney General, California Attorney General, Massachusetts Attorney General, and municipal prosecutors in New York City. His office secured settlements and consent decrees, negotiated with law firms like Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, and worked with regulatory bodies such as the Federal Reserve System and New York State Department of Financial Services on reform initiatives affecting markets like Wall Street and institutions headquartered in Manhattan.

Governorship of New York (2007–2008)

Elected governor in 2006 in a race that involved opponents from the Republican Party and third-party figures associated with Independence Party of New York and Working Families Party, he emphasized ethics reform and fiscal policy in dealings with the New York State Legislature, New York State Assembly, and New York State Senate. His administration engaged with policy discussions involving Medicaid, state budget negotiations with leaders tied to Sheldon Silver and Joseph Bruno, and emergency response coordination with agencies such as Federal Emergency Management Agency and local officials from New York City Mayor's Office. He appointed cabinet officials and advisors who had worked with entities like Council of Economic Advisers, International Monetary Fund, and academic centers at Columbia University and New York University.

Scandal and resignation

In 2008 his administration was enveloped in a scandal after law enforcement and media reporting linked him to a prostitution service operated through businesses with connections to investigations involving Human Trafficking-adjacent police probes and criminal investigations by municipal and state police. The publicity drew coverage from outlets such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, New York Post, CNN, and Fox News Channel, and prompted inquiries by legal professionals associated with Manhattan District Attorney offices. Facing loss of political support from figures including leaders in the Democratic National Committee, state legislators, and former allies from Silda Wall Spitzer's social network, he announced resignation and left office in March 2008.

Post-political career and media work

After resigning he returned to private legal practice and consulting, took roles in financial and legal commentary with networks such as CNN, MSNBC, and Current TV, and launched projects involving podcasting and guest appearances at institutions like Columbia Journalism School and think tanks including Brookings Institution and Council on Foreign Relations. He wrote and spoke about financial regulation, corporate governance, and public ethics with interactions involving academics from Harvard Kennedy School, Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, and practitioners from law firms and investment banks in New York City.

Personal life and legacy

Married to Silda Wall Spitzer until their divorce, he has children and maintains ties to philanthropic organizations and alumni networks at Princeton University and Harvard University. His legacy is debated among commentators at outlets such as The Atlantic, New Yorker, National Review, and Politico—with supporters citing his enforcement record against firms like Enron and WorldCom and critics pointing to the circumstances of his resignation and questions raised by ethics scholars at Yale University and Columbia Law School. Category:1959 births Category:Governors of New York Category:Harvard Law School alumni