New York Governor Eliot Spitzer resigns

March 12, 2008

New York Governor Eliot Spitzer has announced that he has resigned, effective Monday. Spitzer was recently discovered to have been a client of a prostitution ring on numerous occasions.

In a press conference, Governor Spitzer said: "I am deeply sorry that I did not live up to what was expected of me. To every New Yorker, and to all those who believed in what I tried to stand for, I sincerely apologize. I will try once again outside of politics to serve the common good."

Public opinion polls in recent days have shown that 68% of New Yorkers wanted Spitzer to resign and many politicians had also called for his resignation.

As a result Spitzer will be succeeded by Lieutenant Governor David Paterson, who will become New York's first African American governor. It is believed he will be the first legally blind governor in the United States.

Spitzer remains a superdelegate for Senator Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign until he officially steps down as governor.