Alleged "D.C. Madam" Pleads Not Guilty

Former Escort Service Owner Threatens To Sell Client List To Pay For Defense

(AP)  A former escort service owner who has threatened to sell a list of 15,000 phone numbers from her client list to help her defense pleaded not guilty Friday to racketeering.

Deborah Jean Palfrey, 50, of Vallejo, Calif., entered the plea in U.S. District Court. She was released but ordered to wear an electronic monitoring device.

The alleged “D.C. Madam” ran Pamela Martin and Associates, an upscale escort service in the Washington area, from her home for 13 years before it closed in August.

A federal indictment alleges that it was a prostitution ring that yielded $2 million in assets, including cash and homes. In October, the federal government froze the assets after a 2½-year IRS investigation. Palfrey is suing to have the assets returned.

A federal judge on Friday delayed a ruling on a request to block Palfrey from publicizing her client list. Also Friday, an attorney for Palfrey sued in U.S. District Court, seeking $75,000 in damages from a former employee she accused of illegal sexual activity.

Lawyer Montgomery Blair Sibley said that Palfrey's business was a legal fantasy service and that her employees signed contracts agreeing not to break the law.

The lawsuit is heightening anxiety that the names of high-profile clients and escorts will become public. Dick Morris, once a campaign adviser to former President Bill Clinton, has publicly acknowledged being a client.

There are about a dozen serious bidders for the 40 pounds of phone records, ranging from “checkbook journalists to the gold standard of American journalism,” Sibley said. Attorneys for people who fear their names will become public are also after the records, he said.

A judge on Friday postponed the civil case until the criminal case unfolds.

[themartyred]

oh, DO tell, won't you?

www.cafepress.com/warisprofitable --- top site!

[randalds]

I guess this just proves that republican politicians really aren't the only ****** in D.C.

Who'd a thunk it?

Well, at least they're still the most expensive ones.

[dallison7]

*** Morris, once a campaign adviser to former President Bill Clinton, has publicly acknowledged being a client.


Morris is now one of the administration's favorite mouth pieces. A true neocon. I say "Publish the list, flush all the cockroaches out."

[adian1-2009]

Finally it comes out that *** Morris is not only a big vindictive mouth. And to think how he has being selling himself as the great political analyst, etc., etc.!!! I never believed in the guy and I am enjoying this!!!

[lambofgoth]

Morris has always gone to the highest bidder... He likes auctions. This will be fun for him... but not as much as he enjoys sucking on toes.

[reel-crazy]

Oh goodie.... this will be fun!

Bet those cigar-smoking, middle-aged, arrogant, lying, overstuffed suited politicians, clergy, and celebrities are having a good weekend today in eager anticipation of the sale.......

[mohimer1]

one woman who makes a bunch of guys happy is alot better than a woman who makes one man miserable.

[baldfrog-2009]

RandalDS
how do you there were no Democrats there were you there with the Republican Caucus and Newt Baby.By the way how do you know so much about that profession?

[fleshmonger1]

Just another sign of the inequality inherent in our system. Where I come from, they use the publication of your name if you're caught with hookers as a form of discouraging those who would do it and there, they go to court to put a gag order in effect so none of us will know who they are. I don't know who to think worse of, those whose names are in that book or those who are too cowardly or too ignorant to stand up against those whose names are in that book. Like everything else, abuse of power will not end until the average person is willing to make it end...

[sasi1-2009]

Care to bet that members of both parties have a right to be nervous?

[sasi1-2009]

Could the FBI make her a terrorist subject? Mr. Decider could order her to be held incognito for a few years until this blows over!

[scott4261]

No one in DC is safe now!

[j-whitman]

Republicans demand access to your phone records -- Watch them raise holy hell to stop her from releasing thier phone records.

[nyckate]

LOL -- I bet the low-lifes in congress and senate are getting their lobbiests to pay her legal bills - the fall-out from this could be truly hillarious!!!

[generey]

YOU GO GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[randalds]

RandalDS
how do you there were no Democrats there were you there with the Republican Caucus and Newt Baby.By the way how do you know so much about that profession?
Posted by baldfrog at 09:42 AM : Mar 10, 2007

Because when it comes to political ****** people only buy the ones with the power to help them and for the past 6 years that's been the republicans. As to how I know so much about ******, well I had a checkered past when I was much younger.

[baldfrog-2009]

RandalDS
Sorry about that I can see your intentions were good thank you.

[noaanhc]

The government should legalize prostitution &
then collect taxes from the call girls & rake in millions more in revenue & finally stop treating the worlds oldest profession as a crime.

[trueprogress]

It will never see the light of day.

Didn't the Hollywood elite have a similar scandal, and list that was buried, and Heidi F. went to jail for many years ? Same thing will happen here. Two sets of rules.