Sounds like an excellent service. Too bad we have so many religious fundamentalists whose only concern is that somewhere someone may be enjoying themselves. Unfortunately, it appears that, as a country, we will never get over our Wahabi and Taliban-like attitudes.

I say if the prosecutors truly feel illegal activity occurred then arrest the johns, the working girls as well as the Madam.

Lets make a circus of this trial for there are plenty of clowns.

What is the point of a 90-minute appointment if it's not set-up just for sex? Who the hell would want to go on a 90-minute date? What a bunch of crap.

Taliban-like attitudes, eh? If that were truly the case and this were Saudi Arabia, there would be no prosecution or trial. It would beheadings, honor killings, and stonings of the women involved while the men would be let go. That was a pretty poor analogy you came up with.

Why doesn't anybody mention that these activities transmits sexual deseases? It is unhealthy physically and emotionaly on the long run. It always is.
I am glad there are prosecutors seeking out these desease transmitting activities. Staying healthy will save the environment (on the long run)!

It just amazes me that "community standards" can determine laws in the US. 50 yrs ago, community standards determined that blacks and whites could not have relationships. Why aren't US laws based on whether or not they actually cause physical harm to someone? As long as this is between two consenting adults, why should the neighbours have a say? Canada has moved away from "community standards". Time for the US to follow-suit.

the legal profession run rampant -- again!!
beat Duke case/special prosecutors/lawyers in robes who believe they are sainted....
meanwhile, Harry Reid/Dianne Feinstein steer millions to their personal pockets? When will the voters ever learn?

Just goes to show that there are a lot of lonely people in the world. A little sad, but true.

"What a bunch of crap."

Well said.

This sounds like another case of a victimless crime, sort of like prohibition in the 1920's

This sounds like another case of a victimless crime, sort of like prohibition in the 1920's

Hey, if you can chase an intern around your office and have sex with a page, what's the problem with a little "fantasy" sex? Powerful men are always going to be searching for ways to increase their weak egos.

Some may consider this to be a victimless crime, but it appears that the victims here are the girls themselves. As far as prohibition was concerned, what about the numerous deaths caused while driving under the influence. Let her disclose it all - including the clients names and occupations.

WOW! Another media circus to divert attention from more important matters like ending the war! Is Bush behind this one too!

Thank you.

Erik, Thank you for reading my comment. I've lived in Saudi Arabia, as well as Iraq. I will expand upon my comment.

Ideologies hold out the promise that the future will be better than the present. There are two types of ideology: a state-based ideology, which promises a better life while the person is living, and a metaphysical-based ideology, which promises a better life after the person is dead. The following will deal with the metaphysical-based ideology.

Monotheist Believes there is one right path. Since this is completely contained within the individual’s thoughts no one else would even know about it.

Evangelist Spreads word of the path. Sometimes intrusive and irritating; nevertheless is still peaceful and not a physical threat to anyone.

Fundamentalist Insists that public law reflect the path. If thwarted the fundamentalist will introduce violence, for the insistence, citing the desire of a deity, is without restraint.

Has anyone bothered to interview the women who actually worked and asked them if they were expected to perform sax acts?

I'm with Stan, "Expose them all"

> RhettsWife wrote: Some may consider this to be a victimless crime, but it appears that the victims here are the girls themselves. As far as prohibition was concerned, what about the numerous deaths caused while driving under the influence.

Where in that article was there ANY mention of ANY harm to the women escorts? It sounds to me like they had a lot of latitude about taking the job, and some specific guidelines about on the job duties. If indeed their contract with the 'Madam' specified no sex, then they were nothing more than independant contractors doing a job (john?) on the side. RhettsWife, you don't REALLY support prohibition do you? Lets run with the Chicken Little theme for a moment:
-What about all the car crashes (for whatever reason)? Let's ban cars.
-What about people who eat fast food and get morbidly obese (and cost gazillions in health care costs borne by the rest of us...[self-rightiously] I am the very picture of trim healthyness). Let's ban averything but fruits, nuts, and veggies!
-What about all those motorcyclists killed by car drivers turning left in front of them ("But officer, I didn't see him.")? Let's ban, er, LEFT TURNS!!!

This is really only a fun story because of the sanctimonious behavior of those on her list. We the people demand sainthood of those who clearly aren't, and act outraged when they 'fail'. We're the idiots.

Wait! What..no list? Decided not to release any names? What happened? Wasn't that the point? Wasn't this for the "big ratings"? What would make those at ABC change their minds? Hmm. That's the only interesting part of the story. One DC attorney scared you away? Maybe there were no "big fish" to fry? When you reviewed the list, besides the one Republican that was "outed", were you disappointed? Or, were there Dems on the list and you couldn't release Republican names without releasing Dems names? Oh wait, that can't be. That would mean you were engaging in honest journalism.

It is absurd and immoral that this trial is even taking place. Any sex acts performed for money were voluntary exchanges between consenting adults. The decision on whether to participate is entirely between those parties. The rest of us have a right to disapprove or persuade them to stop, but not to make their decisions for them.

Any bets on this prosecution getting cut off at the ankles? If it continues we will probably lose half of the congress.

The ONLY reason this story should even matter at all is because there may have been some right-wing, self-professed "Christian" elected officials engaged in prostitution. Hypocrisy should be exposed.

Otherwise...this is hardly news. DC hookers for public servant johns? Don't agree with it morally, but it's been happening for eons.

Who cares if they had sex or not, the government is once again going out of bounds. Why should people care about how they spend their time and money when it doesn't hurt anybody or damage any property? Because it's immoral? There are plenty of other immoral activities that are commited every day that go unpunnished thare as private as using an escort service (adultery anybody?).

People raise the risk of contracting an STD as a reason. Those same people could learn a few things about how these kind of operations work in Nevada. Regulate it, tax it, and put it work so that law enforcement can work on other issues (graffiti, drug stings, unsolved murder cases). This lifestyle is NOT going to stop because of high profile cases like this one.

If the Madam is running an illegal business, indict her if proof is there. As far as I am concerned that is enough.
I hope the rest of the information of who did what to whom is not aired as this information, not news, would ruin a lot of lives. It all is non of the nation's concern.
Let the media move to informing us to what is happening in the world that truly affects us.

I think the johns and prostitutes should be outed and prosecuted as well as the madam. What's good for the goose is good for the gander. And I sure wish your readers would learn to spell or use spell check.

Sounds like it would have been a good plot for a 'West Wing' episode. Oh, that's right, it was!

I just wish the justice dept was as zealous to protect our borders, as they are about busting escort services.

Robert: Thank you for reading my comment. I only wish you had read it accurately. I did not use the word "religion". I used the term "a metaphysical-based ideology". However, we will go with an examination of religion since it seems of interest to you. I propose that religion is a thesis and freedom the antithesis. (In that order only because religion developed prior to freedom in collective groups.) Religion's outcome, once one monotheistic religion dominates a society, is the outcome shown by Puritans, Wahabi, Students (Taliban), the French Inquisition, and the Spanish Inquisition.

I propose the following thought concerning freedom:

HIERARCHY OF FREEDOM

Humans have three interactions, first with each other, second with other species, and third with the environment. Due to our unique ability to impact life through conscious thought, discussions of the second and third interactions should focus on humanity’s stewardship responsibilities. I will deal exclusively with the first, human interaction.

It is my premise that we can reduce such uncivilized behavior as war, terrorism, child and spouse abuse, and other acts of unfairness through understanding the nature of freedom and by having this understanding permeate society.

Freedom is comprised of a three level hierarchy. The levels, in order of precedence, are freedom from the actions of others, freedom of belief, and freedom to act. Making sure we have the idea firmly fixed, one human’s right to freedom from the actions of others transcends another human’s right to freedom of belief, which in turn transcends another human’s right to freedom to act.

Freedom of belief includes religious belief. The first and third freedoms concern actions. The second freedom is limited to internal thought.

As long as there is no conflict with the freedom from and the freedom of (plus stewardship responsibilities), a person should be free to act without interference.

When we analyze a situation using this structure, it becomes clear whose rights should prevail. For every situation ask, “Does this situation concern one human’s interaction with another human?” If the answer is yes, then this hierarchy of freedom applies.

The hierarchy rests heavily upon the concept of equality among humans. This is a recent development in human evolution. It is only shallowly ingrained. Humans still suffer under the bondage of royalty, theocracy, ignorance, and tradition.

An important role of a legitimate government is to support this hierarchy of freedom and to ensure that those more powerful are not able to distort or reorganize this hierarchy. One test of the legitimacy of a government is its degree of implementation of the hierarchy. A low level of implementation would be justification for other governments to withhold support and for its own people to seek leadership replacement.

Those in power sometimes use the excuse of an internal or external threat to claim that they must suspend the hierarchy of freedoms and extend their own power. They might hide their motives behind terms such as morality, values, and the common good.

This hierarch provides a framework that should guide society’s laws and help the individual develop internal discipline.
an analyst
9 April 2007

A victimless crime? This is not victimless. This is spreading STDs, hurting marriages and further pushing out the limits on what "Pleasure" is. Sex is a wonderful thing in a marriage. Try working on your marriage. Prostitution is not victim-less.

That proposal for the hierarchy of rights by your own admission requires that everyone subscribe to them and believe in them.

But that is part of the problem. We all believe different things. We act on what we believe. Everyone else's proposal for solving this problem requires that everyone else believe their solution. And that is the heart of the matter.

I see no crime here. What a bunch of wasted tax dollars.

Please oh please God...let there be every one of DC's Christian-Right-Wing-Nut-Bag's name on that list. Please oh please let Brownback's name be there....

Oh...and you evangelicals out there.....keep your crap to yourselves and stop trying to shove it down our throats unsolicited!

If Ms. Palfrey really names names she will end up like Chandra Levy.

Hopefully she has police protection.

These so called "family men" are the biggest perverts of them all and they deserve exactly what they get.

What makes all the posters assume that this is all the fault of Pat Robertson and evangelicals? It could just as easily be a Democratic prosecutor who would like nothing better than to charge the "DC Madam" for providing sexual services to some Republican "family values" conservative, thus giving rise to the inevitable charges of "hipocrisy." We will know from ABC's treatment of the list. If only Republicans or nominal Democrats in disfavored occupations (such as defense contractor) are named, with the list being "edited" to remove any names that might make this a bipartisan scandal, we will know. I do not see any evidence of an "American Taliban" who are trying to purify our streets. I do see plenty of Democrats who are trying to ignore or minimize the real "Taliban" who want to kill us as "infidels." But of course we have to be "tolerant" even of those who seek to exterminate us.

There have to be reciprocal parties for there to be a criminal activity, the payer and the payee, otherwise this sort of case is a witch hunt. Prosecute all parties or none at all.

Clean up the SEX. Tax it! Make it Legal and you can use the money to pay for UNIVERSAL Health Care.

It's impossible to stop prostitution!!!

We have thousands of years of proof!

Tax it!!!

This woman is smart! She has it ON PAPER that her "escorts" were not to engage in sex. Reasonable doubt? If it ever goes to trial, we'll see...

Bern, STD's are spread without the use of escort services. Haven't you been to any bars, dance clubs or country clubs lately? Hurting marriages? I don't see these services knocking on the door of prospective Johns like a salesman. People choose to use these services out of free will. Yes, it's inconvenient and a shame that people would break a commitment such as marriage to seek pleasure from another companion but I blame both husbands for not owning up to their commitments and wives for being naive and not knowing who their partners really are. Prostitution IS victimless.

Prostitution, if this is the case here, is never a "victimless crime". Even if the women (or men) consent to be prostitutes the risks for being damaged physically, emotionally, and socially are very high. The families and significant others of the men who engage in prostitution will also pay a price in disease, relationship trauma, and the social chaos of dysfunctional families. The greater culture, often asked to pick up the costs of the damage done by others, is also victimized. Why is is that we can understand the dangers of second hand smoke and not see how unbridled sexual behavior can also do damage to people well beyond the two who consent at any given moment?

What ever happenned to professional ethics in this country? Wasn't part of the reason that the clients hired Pamela Martin and Associates was so that the girls would come, have sex, leave and shut up?

This Madam is a disgrace to her profession.

So if these folks who are prosecuting are automatically right wingers, then those who perpetrate are left wingers? We are a nation of laws. There are law I don't like but must abide by - like speeding (maybe not always). I know that if I speed, I might get a ticket. So unless these laws are changed, and you are willing to face the music, have at it go have fun, but know the possible consequences.

If the law is bad, then change it! Until then, stop whining... :-)

It is typical that the national media would jump all over a story like this, but have a blackout on the horrific kidnapping rapes and murders of Channon Christian and Christopher Newsome.

Maybe we should have STD and drug-tests for ALL elected politicians and their appoinments? Hey, if we have to, they should too. Prostitution should be legalized. Rich women: leave poor women alone, your great-grandmothers made these dumb laws. All they do is make human society more of the powder-keg that it is today.

It is highly unlikely that there are any democrats on the list since they got it and their office for free. That is just amazing.

Who wants to bet that SEVERAL “high powered” Republicans are on this list. I cannot wait until Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, or other Fox News zealots are outed. Those who live in glass houses.

Will these activities cause global warmning? If not, then why are we worried about it. I can't wait to see who's on the list!!! The "Do as I say, not as I do" crowd is really going to get it this time. But I doubt the whole list will be published.

Mark Twain had a wonderful quote " news is not when dog bites man , news is when man bites dog" this case is a prime example man bites dog. . Who really cares if some one wants to pay for 90 minutes of caring and or sex. It is about the same price as an over priced act in Vegas and one doesn't walk out feeling ripped off by some disingenuous artist saying how much he/she loves you.

I'm behind you all the DC Madam, Kudo's for your company - I hope you never see the inside of a jail - Let the list of clients be known if it keeps you out of jail, its just preposterous to think that you are charged with a crime. What crime? Your service was as legal as the customers who paid for them. And kudos for all those beautiful 50+ women!! I LOVE IT!

I'm all for full disclosure. However, does anybody other than me doubt that ABC will be fair? I say, publish them all, or publish none. Let the chips fall where they may.

Right now, only one Republican has been outed. I'll be interested to see if we ever can know, which democrats are protected and which news media people are covered up.

ABC is an 80-90% democrat outlet. Republicans won't receive fair treatment.

What I would like to know is if any of these power brokers tried to submit an expense reimbursement to the State (or their employer) for the alleged "dinner" they had with these women.

GO Palfrey!!! Stick it to every hypocrite out there!!

Sell the story, sell the names. I hope you make MILLIONS out of this story!!!

All parts of the sex-for-money biz are not equal, my ignorant friends. There is a very big difference in the factual particulars (though not to strict moralists, I realize,) between a drug-addicted pimp slave on a street corner and a med student dating professional men for money.

It is obvious from the comments that most people who have posted on this thread have no personal knowledge of this subculture, so allow me to enlighten you. There are a lot of people in our society who like to meet other people and have sex with them. In some cases, money is exchanged. Some of the ladies accepting money may support themselves that way. But many are actually enjoying themselves as much as the men (though the liberal feminist wing of the moral police will deny this---they know better than the women involved what is best for them.) Some have had fantasies about being an "escort," and are fulfilling them, often for just a few months, and then they get out. Some are working their way through school or supplementing their teacher income. The money is often a way for boundaries to be drawn, expectations to be clear ahead of time, because the life circumstances of the man or the woman may not, at that time, allow for deeper involvement. Yet they want SOME involvement.

"Disease" is not spread more profusely through the high-end escort business than through the singles scene, the "swinger" scene or other means of meeting on the Internet. That is a myth. The encounters are, at the high end, respectful, often affectionate, interesting and intelligent.

I'm not trying to argue whether it is morally "right" or "wrong." Everyone has their own opinion. But the idea that these are all desperate women, exploited by men, degrading themselves and spreading disease is simply ignorant.

I think that prostitution should be legalized. There will always be women who will sell themselves for money as well as men who will pay for the services. Regulate it and keep it clean, keep the minors away. Too many children are caught up in prostitution.

Selling your body is not the act of an "empowered" human being. And purchasing someone's body is not an act of "harmless" pleasure. Whether we acknowledge it or not, prostitution is a harmful practice that addresses true needs for love and attention but in a way that is destructive and perverse.

Oh...and you evangelicals out there.....keep your crap to yourselves and stop trying to shove it down our throats unsolicited!

Posted by: scott | May 4, 2007 11:22:05 AM

Isn't it strange that free speech is for everyone except evangelicals? If I voice my views on prostitution, gays & lesbions, abortion, etc. then I am being intolerant and should keep my mouth shut. However, you can bash me all you want and I can't stop you because you have free speech. How hypocritical has this country become?

Prostitution is not a victimless crime...think of the unsuspecting wife (or husband) at home. The "john" has sex with a prostitute and brings home AIDS or another STD, has sex with the trusting spouse, and BAM...he or she also ends up with AIDS. Then if the wife happens to get pregnant the baby can contract AIDS or at the very least be left an orphan when both parents die from this dreaded disease. Definately not a victimless crime.

I'm sorry...but how is this any different than online dating services like Match.com, etc.??? Money is paid to get set up with other people--and if you go on a date and wind up having sex...is that going to be called prostitution too??? Slight differences, but a very similar concept! money=date/sex.....no one ever said these women didn't have a choice.

Of course the madam would make it look as victimless as possible so we would all be sympathetic. If anyone has ever talked to women who have left prostitution you see a very different picture.

Boy, this seems to be a blood-thirsty crowd writing in. Didn't you guys get enough of a kick about Ted Haggard's indiscretions? That was only 6 months ago. As for this "escort service," I say bust the guys, too! That's only fair. And has anyone else noticed how so few men are interested in sex, but are just in desperate need of a massage? There must be a lot of tension in the air! :)

Who's taking bets that very influential Republican leaders will show up on this list? Sean Hannity is already attacking Palfrey and "defending" anyone who used her services.

As is typical of these clowns they attack the victim (Palfrey) and defend the "C.E.O. type" criminal

If I had odds that Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, or another one of their buddies were on the list I'd take that bet in a HEART BEAT.

I want to know if any government employees charged this service to their expense accounts. The taxpayers shouldn't have to foot the bill prostitutions or escort services for elected or appointed public servants.

If these guys met the girl in a bar, and paid with dinner and a diamond bracelet, we'd call it a relationship. Why, if they give the $1,000 in cash instead of merchandise, do we make it illegal?

Well said, John. It is NOT a victimless crime.

"The families and significant others of the men who engage in prostitution will also pay a price in disease, relationship trauma, and the social chaos of dysfunctional families. The greater culture, often asked to pick up the costs of the damage done by others, is also victimized. "

If you haven't lived the horrible reality of the victimized family and the costs associated with it - then you can't possibly understand how "victimless" doesn't at all apply to prostitution - in all it's forms.

I've lived it and I've been victimized. And there are millions more like me.

Let's get all of these escort women in court, get the naked truth, and get them to bare all. Let's get to the bottom of this. Let's get down to the nitty gritty. Subpoena all of the clients. Post their pictures on My Space.

This is victimless crime, and it shows that no matter what is happening in this country, the government STILL has too much free time.

Grandma, it is victimless. If the wife is not familiar with the sexual habits of her husband, whos to blame? Her husband for concealing his habits or the wife for being naive and not having her husband open up? Blaming this profession is like blaming guns for shootings instead of blaming the shooter.

MB, often men and women who use these services are sexually addicted just as a person can be addicted to gambling, drugs, alcohol, etc.

Addicts LIE. Addicts conceal and are masters of it.

Spouses who are unaware of the lying, concealing partners' hidden habits are not naive. They are being played.

To suggest culpability on the part of the person often innocent spouse and family is just mean and ignorant.

Prostitution IS legal in DC...

it's called "POLITICS"

I think I'm going to open a drug/alcohol rehab center. If the names on this list are released, you can bet that they have an "addiction problem" and will be "seeking treatment".

I could make millions!!!!!

Interesting how this discussion devolves into sound bites like "it's a victim-less crime" and partisan sniping like "I wish I believed in God so I could petetion him to kill the right wing nuts!".

Prostitution has been mostly illegal in this country forever. It's an illegal activity. If you want to change that get lawmakers to change the law. Run on the pro-hooker ticket and see what happens.

A non-story about a glorified pimp brilliantly using the media to appear as anything but. This is like worrying about a stain on the carpet when the house is on fire. Lots of people here keen on ruining lives (innocent or not) for their own self-righteous enjoyment.

Print the list.

All of it.

Who is Miss Julia kidding? No guy in his right mind would pay $300 to chat up some bimbo, something he could do for free with his old lady at home. That kind of serious cash means getting off in ways you could only dream about with your old lady. Every old fart in DC politics knows this and that's why Julia has been doing so well satisfying a serious need.

The older woman fantasy has now replaced the lesbian and interracial fantasies in our males imaginations. I wonder what the implications of that are.

All glory to the US National Sex Police, they strike again. Taliban is not inappropriate at all. They are the fundamentalist extreme wing of Islam, just as the evangilicals make up the fundamentalist extreme right wing of Christians. Their need to control everyone else to their thinking is exactly the same.

Whether the majority in society or a minority of individuals like or dislike prostitution, or sexual fantasy exchange, or even homosexuality, it should not be within their right to force their sex morals on others. That is the real issue here.

As far as sexually transmitted diseases, they are spread by sex whether money exchanges hands or not. Those particularly concerned can protect themselves by not engaging in it.

As far as families hurt by cheating husbands, that is a personal issue for those families, not society's place to try and legislate. And that issue really lies with the cheating spouse, not his culprit in sex.

The prosecution should just fold. What is wrong with an escort service? Ever been on the road for weeks? It's a little depressing eating out by yourself. A 90 min escort would be most welcome to provide some company and conversation during a meal.

I think people need to mind their own business for a change, and like another poster said, spending money on a woman during a "date" isn't any different than prostitution. There are many single and married females trolling for men with a fat wallet.

FYI...not all of us Christians are Bible thumping hypocrites. I believe that prostitution should be legal but is abhorrent...just like abortion and the death penalty. The tragedy is that so many Christians, especially the evangelicals, cannot be satisfied in a live and let live world, relying only on their own examples to convert people, and are constantly exposed as hypocrites. This results in the ULITIMATE sin, which is to turn far more people AWAY from Jesus than towards him. My message to my Christian brethren is to SHUT UP, stop preaching at people, and live quiet lives of example. I'm afraid, however, that hypocritical and pious people will always be with us and thus so will prostitution.

Who cares!

It's great to know that the Justice Department has cleaned up terrorist cells, high crimes, bribery and billions of fraud and has the resources to spend on trivial issues such as this.

Makes you wonder how the US Attorney General approved going forward with the initial investigation.

I hope all of her records become public.

I can't understand the chadenfreude of people who need to see others suffer and be hurt over something like this. Does it matter who used this company's services? If it's legal and acceptable for them to go and enjoy sexual relations with strangers without money changing hands, what is it about the money being involved that changes the whole thing so much?

I really don't think anyone was hurt by this. The women seem to all have been involved of their own accord, and this madam obviously did an excellent job of covering herself, though it's clear that the text of the contracts and the actual requirements of the job were contradictory. That is not the fault of this Madam, but of the system of laws (and wasted money on moral law enforcement) that forced her to do this to protect herself.

Outlaw a thing in demand and you can only succeed in turning a decent above-board market into a black market. But putting a stop to the activity? Can't be done.