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'Hustler' Call May Have Prompted Vitter Admission
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A call from Hustler magazine may have prompted a Louisiana Republican senator to expose his past with an escort service run by the so-called "D.C. Madam," the Blotter on ABCNews.com has learned.
Sen. David Vitter, R-La., sent a statement to the New Orleans bureau of the Associated Press late yesterday confirming that he had used the now-defunct Washington, D.C. escort service Pamela Martin and Associates, whose former proprietress, Deborah Jeane Palfrey, has come to be known as the D.C. Madam, thanks to her high-profile federal prosecution.
Last week, immediately following a judge's order, Palfrey turned over phone records for her service from 1993 to 2006 to Washington, D.C. investigative reporter and author Dan Moldea, with whom she is writing a book, Moldea told ABCNews.com.
According to Palfrey's lawyer, Vitter's number appeared on a February 2001 phone record, which his client had not previously shared with other news outlets, including ABC News.
Photos D.C. Madam Affair Unfolds
The next day, Moldea told ABCNews.com, he discovered a phone number connected to Vitter in the records.
Moldea, who also works as an investigator for Hustler magazine publisher Larry Flynt, contacted Flynt with the information, he said. Flynt did not immediately respond to a request for comment from ABCNews.com.
Yesterday afternoon, a Hustler editor contacted Vitter's office to ask his connection to Palfrey's service.
Soon after, Vitter's office released its statement.
Vitter's office did not respond to requests for comment.
Earlier this year ABC News received and analyzed a portion of Palfrey's phone records that included calls between 2002 and 2006 but found no indication of Vitter having used the service. A new search of the records previously provided to ABC News against several numbers that have belonged to Vitter returned no matches.
Palfrey could not immediately be reached for comment.
The revelation of Hustler's involvement is not without irony. Vitter joined Congress by winning a House seat vacated by former Rep. Bob Livingston, R-La., in 1999. Livingston, a chief accuser of former President Bill Clinton during his Monica Lewinsky sex scandal, was forced to step down after Hustler magazine threatened to publish evidence of his own marital infidelity, which he admitted upon his resignation.
Flynt has announced he will hold a press conference Wednesday. According to a Flynt spokeswoman, the publisher is not planning to release any more names of former Palfrey clients, but she promised "more stuff" would come out then.
Z. Byron Wolf contributed to this report.
This post has been updated.
Do you have a tip for Brian Ross and the Investigative Team?
July 10, 2007 in D.C. Madam Affair | Permalink | User Comments (73)
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Funny how pornographers are only interested in taking down republicans. Are democrats really better off having the likes of Larry Flynt in their corner. Personally I prefer to cast my lots with falible republicans rather than amoral dems.
Posted by: IamZilla | Jul 10, 2007 1:55:30 PM
Ah, the bitter smell of hypocrisy in the morning sure makes the nostrils flare.
Posted by: Phillybits | Jul 10, 2007 1:56:16 PM
i guess this means we can look forward to two things very soon: 1. Rep. David "John" Vitter will resign for his indiscretion, just like he thought Clinton should (1998). 2. His wife, Wendy will perform a Lorena Bobbitt on him (2000). i wish them both the best in their respective endeavors. :o]
Posted by: nffcnnr | Jul 10, 2007 2:01:27 PM
Hustler is really becoming a must-read magazine even without the erotic content. I've purchased the last couple of issues and I really have to say that it's become my favorite magazine because of the political angles covered and other well written articles. Now of course you may be thinking, "Yeah right... he reads it for the articles!" I'm an erotic photographer myself, so looking at nude women is something I do regularly. The articles and investigative reporting in Hustler really are top notch!
Posted by: zettapixel | Jul 10, 2007 2:10:27 PM
The Christian Right doesn't care if people lie to them. That's why there's no outrage over the Iraq War on the Christian Right. And that's why Vitter will probably not lose any support.
Posted by: Joe Schembrie | Jul 10, 2007 2:12:51 PM
Kick Vitter's lying butt out!
Posted by: Thumper | Jul 10, 2007 2:12:54 PM
Hmmm. I read a report that in 2000 his wife told a news source she was more like Lorena Bobbit than Hillary Clinton and indicated what would happen to him. Now she seems to be a bit more like Hillary.
Hillary took hell over her "Stand by your man" comments. My guess is repubs will not want to bash this guys wife over this. They are a lot more civil with their own.
Posted by: Mike | Jul 10, 2007 2:29:52 PM
Another upstanding public servant!
Posted by: averageamerican | Jul 10, 2007 2:33:09 PM
NoBody Cares.
Posted by: John Ingram | Jul 10, 2007 2:37:48 PM
just how does larry flynt have more intellengence gathering capability than the u.s. gov. maybe you people should hire him to find osama.
Posted by: short | Jul 10, 2007 2:42:56 PM
Either you have an incompetent staff or corrupt management. ABC News Should be ashamed they did not break this story when it was handed to them. Lets see them spin that.
Posted by: JP | Jul 10, 2007 2:49:56 PM
I guess ABC crack investigating team could not un-earth what an unknown investigator for Hustler magazine could! I don't buy the assertion that ABC could not find a match earlier or today - I don't think ABC news tried hard enough to link teh phone records with anyone.
Posted by: CP | Jul 10, 2007 2:52:09 PM
The idea of two same-sex partners living in a monogamous relationship wanting to get married has caused Senator Vitter much anguish. All this time I thought it was the "same-sex" part that bothered him; apparently it's the "monogamy" part.
Posted by: Hank Hury | Jul 10, 2007 3:23:19 PM
I believe Senator Vitter is truly sorry, he is sorry that he got caught!
Posted by: Jim Jones | Jul 10, 2007 3:25:04 PM
Another Republican defending the sanctity of marriage.....
Posted by: JBK | Jul 10, 2007 3:29:21 PM
They are all hyprocites. Profess to be Christians, but are the first to throw stones.
Posted by: sunny | Jul 10, 2007 3:41:24 PM
So when you guys said that there were no names of consequence in Palfrey's phone records, you were lying.
I guess we'll never really hear the truth about the Cheney connection, either.
Investigative team? Only when it's convenient, I guess.
Posted by: Joe Bua | Jul 10, 2007 3:42:51 PM
Which section of the Bible is it that describes "adultery", because apparently all these moral do gooders do not know where it's located. Ain't it grand they all find religion, forgiveness ET AL after they are caught? Gee do you think his or some other persons name on the list voted to Impeach Clinton. Oh, I know that's different because he got his oral sex in the White House and not at the MADAM'S BROTHEL.
Posted by: Sue Filutze | Jul 10, 2007 3:47:15 PM
Crying governor, cursing mayor, thousands in the freezer, now a D.C. madame; just another black eye for Louisiana...but the gumbo is GREAT
Posted by: DMC | Jul 10, 2007 3:47:40 PM
Wait until they find out that he made the phone calls from his office.
Posted by: Mark | Jul 10, 2007 3:51:02 PM
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