David Vitter - Use of Prostitution Services

Summary

In July of 2009, Senator Vitter confessed to using the services of a prostitute linked to the "D.C. Madam".  Shortly thereafter, allegations were made that he also used the services of a prostitution ring in New Orleans, Louisiana prior to his election to the U.S. Senate.  Senator Vitter has routinely denied these allegations.

 

Arrest of the "D.C. Madam"

 

In early October 2007, federal agents raided the home of a woman they alleged had operated a Washington, D.C. escort service that dispatched college-educated prostitutes to the homes and hotel rooms of well-heeled clients for the last 13 years. A two-year probe by Internal Revenue Service and Unites States Postal Inspection Service agents targeted the Pamela Martin & Associates escort service and its owner, Deborah Jeane Palfrey. Agents searched the 50-year-old Palfrey's northern California home and froze nearly $500,000 in assorted bank and stock trading accounts. According to investigators, Palfrey charged clients about $300 per session and split the take with her stable of prostitutes, who were encouraged to "work at least three nights a week." Palfrey, who started Pamela Martin & Associates in 1993, was previously convicted of running a California prostitution business and served 18 months in prison. In an interview cited by The Smoking Gun,Palfrey admitted operating an escort firm, but claimed that her workers did not engage in "illegal sexual activities."

 

In early October 2007, federal agents raided the home of a woman they alleged had operated a Washington, D.C. escort service that dispatched college-educated prostitutes to the homes and hotel rooms of well-heeled clients for the last 13 years. A two-year probe by Internal Revenue Service and Unites States Postal Inspection Service agents targeted the Pamela Martin & Associates escort service and its owner, Deborah Jeane Palfrey.

Agents searched the 50-year-old Palfrey's northern California home and froze nearly $500,000 in assorted bank and stock trading accounts. According to investigators, Palfrey charged clients about $300 per session and split the take with her stable of prostitutes, who were encouraged to "work at least three nights a week." Palfrey, who started Pamela Martin & Associates in 1993, was previously convicted of running a California prostitution business and served 18 months in prison. In an interview cited by The Smoking Gun,Palfrey admitted operating an escort firm, but claimed that her workers did not engage in "illegal sexual activities."

Palfrey, originally said that agents raiding her home would have found nothing since she did not keep computerized records and regularly shredded documents. Asked about the nature of her clientele, Palfrey called the identity of her johns a "salacious detail" of which she was unaware. "I never kept records," she claimed. "I protected the client's confidentiality...they trusted me."

By May of 2007, Palfrey was unable to pay for her defense and appeared on ABC's 20/20 claiming that she had a list of 10,000 to 15,000 phone numbers of men that had used her service.  ABC combed through the records and stated that none of the potential clients was newsworthy enough to mention.  Palfrey's claims caused the judge in the case to issue an order to prevent the list from going public.  In July of 2007, the judge rescinded the order, and on July 9 Palfrey released what she claimed was a full list of numbers.

 

Involvement of Senator Vitter

On the night of July 9, 2007, Senator Vitter released a statement acknowledging that his phone number was on Mrs. Palfrey's list.

This was a very serious sin in my past for which I am, of course, completely responsible. 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.

 

Accusations of New Orleans madam

The next day, Fox News ran a story highlighting the accusations of a New Orleans madam named Jeanette Maier.  Maier claimed that Vitter was once a client of the Canal Street brothel in New Orleans. She pleaded guilty to running the operation in 2002. Vitter won his seat in the U.S. Senate in 2004.  Maier described Senator Vitter's involvement in the following manner:

As far as the girls coming out after seeing David, all they had was nice things to say. It wasn't all about sex. In fact, he just wanted to have somebody listen to him, you know. And I said his wife must not be listening. ... It wasn't all about dirty, raunchy, crazy sex. It was a bunch of guys coming over hanging out with the girls and having a few cocktails, and men being men. ... He is a decent guy. He's not a freak. He's not using drugs. He's not using taxpayers money to buy hookers or drugs or anything like that. He's just a decent, normal guy,

However, Maier's lawyer, Vinny Mosca claimed that David Vitter's name never came up in any way in his defense case for Mrs. Maier, but did not go as far as denying he was a client:

Throughout the time that I represented Jeannette Maier in the Canal Street brothel case, the name of David Vitter or any code name for him never came up. It was not contained in any evidence in the case, including in any book, list or document seized by the federal government or given to the federal government by Ms. Maier. (Vitter's name) was never picked up on any government wiretap nor is it listed in any transcript or court document as part of the Canal Street brothel case.

The Canal Street brothel allegations were investigated by a Republican rival when Vitter ran for a House seat in Congress in 1999. A member of the state Republican Party's central committee claimed that he had confirmed the allegations at the time while working for a rival campaign.

The allegations never surfaced in the congressional campaign, but The Louisiana Weekly, a New Orleans newspaper, wrote about them in 2002 and 2004. Vitter denied the accusations. The woman Senator Vitter was thought to have been seeing through the New Orleans service was identified as going by the name Wendy Cortez.  After the D.C. madam story broke, the Times-Picayune again asked Senator Vitter about the previous relationship with Mrs Cortez, and Vitter's office issued a statement that referenced his apology regarding the Washington escort service and reiterated that he was not implicated in a federal investigation that led to the closing of a Canal Street brothel in 2001.

Senator Vitter was very honest and direct in his statement on Monday. Unfortunately, that has resulted in political enemies and those looking to profit from the situation shopping all sorts of false stories. Four different lawyers in the Canal Street matter, including the lead defense attorney and the U.S. attorney, have confirmed Senator Vitter had nothing to do with the operation in any way. But sadly the media insists on being completely irresponsible and continues to report rumors and false accusations.

This response mirrored a 2004 denial that Senator Vitter issued on WSMB radio after the initial allegations were made:

I think you know that that allegation is absolutely and completely untrue...I have said that on numerous occasions ... I'll say that in any forum. Unfortunately, that's just crass Louisiana politics, now that I am running for the Senate. I have made that clear that it is all completely untrue...And, it's obviously politically motivated.

Although Mrs. Cortez never spoke publicly about her relationship with then state senator Vitter, a long term boyfriend claimed to have seen pictures of Mrs Cortez and Mr Vitter at various locations.  He cited her relationship with Mr Vitter as a reason for ending theirs.

Senator Vitter held a press conference roughly a week later and again denied the allegations: 

References

[1] Website: Fox News Article: New Orleans' Madam Says Sen. David Vitter Used Her Brothel Author: AP Accessed on: 05/04/2010

[2] Website: The Washington Post Article: Senator's Number on 'Madam' Phone List Author: Shailagh Murray Accessed on: 05/04/2010

[3] Website: NOLA.com Article: Prostitute describes Vitter affair Author: Gary Scheets Accessed on: 05/04/2010

[4] Website: The Smoking Gun Article: New D.C. Sex Scandal Looming? Author: NA Accessed on: 05/04/2010

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