Eliot Spitzer
This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. The specific problem is: unorganized. Please help improve this article if you can. (September 2014) Eliot Spitzer 54th Governor of New York In office January 1, 2007 – March 17, 2008 Lieutenant David Paterson Preceded by George Pataki Succeeded by David Paterson 63rd New York Attorney General In office January 1, 1999 – December 31, 2006 Governor George Pataki Preceded by Dennis Vacco Succeeded by Andrew Cuomo Personal details Born Eliot Laurence Spitzer (1959-06-10) June 10, 1959 (age 55) Bronx, New York Nationality American Political party Democratic Spouse(s) Silda Wall Spitzer (1987-2013,div.) Children 3 Residence Manhattan, New York Alma mater Princeton University (A.B.) Harvard Law School (J.D.) Profession Lawyer Politician Signature Eliot Laurence Spitzer (born June 10, 1959) is an American lawyer, political commentator, and Democratic Party politician who served as the 54th Governor of New York from January 2007 until his resignation on March 17, 2008. He most recently ran as a candidate for New York City Comptroller, losing the Democratic nomination to Scott Stringer. His resignation as governor resulted from the aftermath of a prostitution scandal. Prior to being elected governor, Spitzer served as New York State Attorney General. After serving as Governor, he became a political commentator, and was most recently the host of Viewpoint with Eliot Spitzer, a nightly news and commentary program on Current TV, which he later left. Prior to Viewpoint, he was the co-host of In the Arena—a talk-show and punditry forum broadcast on CNN—from October 2010 to July 2011. He grew up in the Bronx, New York, as the third and youngest child of real estate tycoon Bernard Spitzer and Anne Goldhaber, both Austrian Jewish immigrants in New York. He attended Princeton University for undergraduate studies and then Harvard Law School for his Juris Doctor. It was there that he met his future wife, Silda Wall. He went on to work for the law firm of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, and subsequently the Manhattan District Attorney's office to pursue organized crime. He launched the investigation that brought down the Gambino crime family's control over Manhattan's garment and trucking industries. In 1994, Spitzer left to work at the law firm of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom and, later, Constantine and Partners. In the 1998 election, Spitzer defeated incumbent Republican Dennis Vacco by a slim margin to become New York State Attorney General. His campaign was financed by a controversial multi-million dollar loan from his father. As attorney general, Spitzer prosecuted cases relating to corporate white collar crime, securities fraud, internet fraud and environmental protection. He pursued cases against computer chip price fixing, investment bank stock price inflation, predatory lending practices by mortgage lenders, fraud at American International Group, and the 2003 mutual fund scandal. He also sued Richard Grasso, the former chairman of the New York Stock Exchange, over a compensation package perceived to be excessive. In 2007, Spitzer was inaugurated Governor of New York after defeating Republican John Faso. During his time in office, he proposed a bill to legalize same-sex marriage in New York and issued an executive order allowing undocumented immigrants to be issued driver's licenses; both attracted controversy. In July 2007, he was admonished for his administration's involvement in ordering the New York State Police to record the whereabouts of State Senate majority leader Joseph L. Bruno. On March 10, 2008, it was reported that Spitzer was a client of Emperors Club VIP. The scandal prompted him to resign as Governor on March 17. On July 7, 2013, Spitzer announced he would be running for New York City Comptroller, adding he was, "hopeful there will be forgiveness. I am asking for it." On September 10, 2013, Spitzer lost the Democratic primary to Manhattan borough president Scott Stringer. In July 2014, Spitzer invested in TipRanks – a tech company that lends transparency into the financial markets by showing investors the track record and performance of anyone who gives financial advice. Spitzer is an active member of the Board of Directors.