Ethics Newsline®

“Anybody who looks at the two cases will see that there is an enormous difference between the two of them. The people that are trying to draw comparisons to the two cases are people who’ve never agreed with me on important issues like immigration and other things.”

– Sen. David Vitter, Republican of Louisiana, rejecting comparisons between his patronage of a DC prostitution ring and the similar scandal that recently ended the career of New York governor Eliot Spitzer. Vitter, who was identified last June as a repeat client of the DC prostitution ring, has declared the matter settled on the grounds that he had “asked for and received forgiveness from God and my wife.” Since the statute of limitations has expired, no criminal charges are expected against Vitter, and his party’s leadership to date has taken no action against him. The trial of the woman running the ring is wrapping up this week. Vitter was not required to testify, notes the Associated Press.

Sources: AP, Apr. 14 — Observer, Apr. 11 — Independent Weekly of Lafayette, Louisiana, Mar. 19.