Senator Caught In "D.C. Madam" Scandal
Louisiana Republican David Vitter Apologizes For 'Very Serious Sin' In His Past
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Sen. David Vitter, R-La., seen here speaking at a Port of New Orleans news conference, March 30, 2005. (AP (file))
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Deborah Jeane Palfrey, the so-called "D.C. Madam," leaves federal court in Washington with her attorney, Montgomery Blair Sibley, center, and federal public defender A. J. Kramer, right, on March 9, 2007. On July 5, a judge granted her permission to distribute thousands of pages of her phone records. (AP Photo/Chris Greenberg)
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"This was a very serious sin in my past for which I am, of course, completely responsible," Vitter said Monday in a printed statement. "Several years ago, I asked for and received forgiveness from God and my wife in confession and marriage counseling. Out of respect for my family, I will keep my discussion of the matter there — with God and them. But I certainly offer my deep and sincere apologies to all I have disappointed and let down in any way."
The Republican senator's spokesman, Joel Digrado, confirmed the statement Monday evening in an e-mail to The Associated Press.
It said his telephone number was on old phone records of Pamela Martin and Associates before he ran for the Senate.
Deborah Jeane Palfrey is accused by federal prosecutors of racketeering by running a prostitution ring that netted more than $2 million over 13 years, beginning in 1993. She contends that her escort service, Pamela Martin and Associates, was a legitimate business.
Louisiana's Democratic governor, Kathleen Blanco, issued a statement saying she was "disappointed" over the revelation and hoped it wouldn't hurt the state's efforts to secure federal funding for rebuilding homes damaged by hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
"I will travel to Washington in the coming weeks to continue my conversations with congressional leaders, and I hope this scandal will not lessen their critical support of our recovery," Blanco said.
A Harvard graduate and Rhodes scholar, the 46-year-old Vitter was elected to his current office in 2004, becoming the first Republican from Louisiana elected to the Senate since Reconstruction. He represented Louisiana's 1st Congressional District in the House from 1999 to 2004.
In the House, Vitter succeeded GOP Rep. Robert Livingston, who was in line to replace Newt Gingrich as speaker until Livingston admitted to extramarital affairs and quit Congress. Livingston had been a critic of President Clinton, calling on him to resign over his affair with Monica Lewinsky.
Vitter and his wife, Wendy, live in Metairie, La., with their four children.
Vitter said his wife has forgiven him, but CBS News correspondent Bob Fuss reports she seemed less forgiving in an interview in 2000 when President Clinton's adultery was in the news.
"I'm a lot more like Lorena Bobbitt than Hillary," she said. "If he does something like that, I'm walking away with one thing, and it's not alimony, trust me."
Lorena Bobbitt, in a 1993 case that drew worldwide attention, cut-off her husband's penis during an argument.
Vitter, a first-term senator, has a prominent role in the campaign of former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who is leading the Republican field in national polls.
As Giuliani's regional campaign chairman for the South, Vitter could prove another headache for Giuliani, who has faced a spate of bad news, including the federal cocaine indictment of his South Carolina chairman, state Treasurer Thomas Ravenel. Giuilani has also been under fire for refusing to fire Monsignor Alan Placa, a Catholic priest and childhood friend suspended from the church over abuse allegations, from Giuliani's security consulting firm.
Palfrey's attorney, Montgomery Blair Sibley, told the AP, "I'm stunned that someone would be apologizing for this." He said Palfrey had posted the phone numbers of her escort service's clients online Monday, but that he had not been aware Vitter's number was among them. Vitter's statement was sent to the AP's New Orleans bureau Monday evening.
Until Vitter's admission, the most prominent client of Palfrey's to emerge was senior State Department official Randall Tobias, who resigned from his post in April after ABC confronted him about his use of the service.
Palfrey's Web site contains several pages phone records, but no names, dating from August 1994 to August 2006. Palfrey wrote on the Web site that she believed a disk containing the records had been pirated, and said she was posting the records "to thwart any possible distorted version and to ensure the integrity of the information."
Palfrey revealed details of her escort service on ABC's news magazine "20/20" on May 4. At the time, ABC said it could not link any information in records from 2002 to 2006, provided by Palfrey, to members of Congress or White House officials but did find links to prominent business executives, NASA officials and at least five military officers.
© MMVII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.



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See all 346 CommentsHave they no shame?
Another "family values" Republican exposed.
Louisiana Republican
-Imagine that.
What a shallow party.
The party of:
- ***, politics, money, religion, and family.
loosely in that order.
This "family values" Senator was part of the chorus of hipocrytes screeching for the impeachment of Clinton for cheating on his wife.
[Posted by wfbdem at 07:05 AM : Jul 10, 2007]
he's already reconciled that w/ his god ... and plans on keeping that between himself ... the boys ... and his god.
What a crock of sshit.
Politicians prayer:
"Forgive me God blah, blah, blah
now show me the money, and get me the votes, in Jesus name, amen"
Wonder how many dems the press had to blow thru to find one republican to smear?
I am so tired of these politicians and preachers putting themselves above the average Joe, but they are no better than the average scum.
It will eventually catch up with each of them.
Pray for Peace. God Bless You.
personally I don't care about this guys personal life. but did you listen to your self just now? I am guessing you are the kind of guy that went crazy over Clinton and his deal.
This "family values" Senator was part of the chorus of hipocrytes screeching for the impeachment of Clinton for cheating on his wife.
This kind of garbage is not limited to one party or the other and I think that will become clear as more names come out.
I have to say, as a loyal Democrat, this is no time for the party of Ted"pantless on the frontlawn" Kennedy and Bill"define ***" Clinton to gloat.
God told him to bang the W#ore.
Meanwhile, another distraction from the business at hand....like.....fixing social securities future, fixing the comprenhensive energy bill, fixing our energy independence and current gas crunch, fixing our national healthcare, fixing immigration, fixing our excessive tax rates due to the excesses of greed, misappropriations and a 10 billion a day or month or what ever the H*E*L*L the war on Iraq, Afganistan and the on going drug interdiction costs we the people.
Are you paid by the ***?
- Posted by infidel_us at 07:52 AM : Jul 10, 2007
As one poster pointed out some time ago (I think it was "mil_spouse" ?) adultery is against the law in many states. In Michigan it can carry a life sentence in prison.
Fortunately for the sinners, these laws are not enforced.
Are you paid by the T*u*r*d?
This "family values" Senator was part of the chorus of hipocrytes screeching for the impeachment of Clinton for cheating on his wife.
Just curious.
I'm not making that up. It describes someone like myself.
Source:
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/vitter
- Posted by genesis15 at 08:25 AM : Jul 10, 2007
Not true.
If this happened to Zell Miller, I'd be gloating just as much.
This guy forgot a minor detail, his name in a madams phone book.
And
WASHINGTON %u2014 Speaking at a luncheon on Oct. 12, Sen. David Vitter, R-La., compared Hurricanes Katrina and Rita to marriages of same-*** couples.
DID ANYONE CHECK TO SEE IF THE PROSITUTE MAYBE WAS A BOY, perhaps?
This guy forgot a minor detail, his name in a madams phone book."
- Posted by ianlou at 08:32 AM : Jul 10, 2007
Yup.
And he's attaching a lot of importance to it now.
Having a halo is not part of the requirement for representing us in Washington. If it were, I think it would be a very empty place, almost like a ghost town.
I was a fan of Bill Clinton, even after his ordeal, but his wife, Hillary, just lost my support when she openly supports the HB1 visa increases for Indian companies here in the US, thereby forgetting that "American workers" should come first. As one analyist said...."look at where the financial support comes from." I would like to see a moretoreum put on all visas for a year or two, and have Homeland Security check up on the 770,000 who have overstayed their visas and deport them. There is not one job filled by an HB1 visa holder that could not be filled by an AMERICAN if efforts were made to do so.
Posted by infidel_us
I am not a lib, but perhaps you can lead us in prayer for this guy and his 4 kids - including 3 daughters.
I think Newt Gingrich and Rudy Giuliani should offer him their services for this purpose, in keeping with the Biblical command:
"...go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.'" - Matthew 18:15-16
- Posted by infidel_us at 08:37 AM : Jul 10, 2007
Selective moral outrage is a quality Liberals share with Conservatives.
As you post quoted above, demonstrates.
Why so many? and we KNOW if the Dems were doing the same it would be disclosed because the GOP smear and dirt digging machine never stops.
Oh Well...remember that ol saw?
"Fits them all
Fits them all,
The big, the short and the tall....
Short or tall, big or small
GOP d1cks fits them all.
Stop drinking the water and all you Repbulican babes better be watching your honeys closely. Watch your friends. Watch your kids. WAtch the neighborhood kids. Hell, watch all the animals. Never know when your man's "evil little genius" will go AWOL. LMAO (no wonder Ann Coulter won't marry)
Posted by infidel_us
How so JA? We were on here slamming Jefferson and Al Gore's kid. Remember how much fun you had with those. Not so much this time? Me thinks you projects too much.
"Deborah Jeane Palfrey was accused in federal court of racketeering by running a prostitution ring that netted more than $2 million over 13 years, beginning in 1993. She contends, however, that her escort service, Pamela Martin and Associates, was a legitimate business."
Well said! Thanks for an intelligent post amidst all the garbage.
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