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'Hustler' Call May Have Prompted Vitter Admission

July 10, 2007 1:26 PM

Hustlercallpr_mn 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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I'd rather put my trust in people that can use and spell the word fallible.
I don't think it's a matter of Hustler targeting certain parties, it's just a lot better when the person is a huge hypocrite (see: Haggard, Ted)

Posted by: Danielle | Jul 10, 2007 3:51:34 PM

Larry Flynt is not politically aligned with either party - Hustler takes on hypocrites from both sides of the isle.

Posted by: shaverca | Jul 10, 2007 3:51:52 PM

I don't care, and I don't know anybody that cares. I have lived too long to expect politicians and other thieves to keep their toys in their pants. Of course, Washington is crawling with women who are attracted to all that power, so you'd have to be almost dead to resist it forever.

Posted by: TonyFacade | Jul 10, 2007 3:56:43 PM

Compared to all the old guys on the list, he is a prize, I bet he was a popular customer and as Tom Cruise says in Risky Business "Time of your Life." I think it is especially funny, that the Senator's wife scoffed at Hilary for not leaving Bill in 2000 and said if that was me, i would have acted like Lorraine Bobbit....whateva, yada yada yada...

Posted by: John | Jul 10, 2007 4:12:51 PM

It is my guess that Flynt has the goods on far more important people than sad, little David Vitter.

Posted by: John | Jul 10, 2007 4:21:55 PM

This of no surprise to me. The ones that mouth-off are typically the hypocrites. What are these so-called 'Family Values' I hear so much about anyway? I'm gay, been in a 25 year monogamous relationship and have 2 well-adjusted straight kids in college. Give me a break.

Posted by: fed-up | Jul 10, 2007 4:23:05 PM

It's not about attacking Democrats or Republicans here, it's about crooked politicians who pander to certain groups basing their politics on social causes such as the anti-gay stance that Mr. Vitter so vehemently took up as a "cause celebre", claiming that he was defending marriage. Well, this case has been around for months, did he really think that no one would find out. Why did he wait this long? I'm sure not only Republicans used the Madam's service, there are probably other Democrats or independents out there who still need to come out of the closet and say, hey I made a mistake, I used her services, I'm sorry... etc. and move on. The problem is, when such person claims to be for something, yet does the opposite. Hypocrite! This just shows you that you first need to defend marriage by making it tougher on those who seek divorce, those who commit adultery, those who fornicate, etc...once you fix that, maybe then you can have a saying on gay marriage.

Posted by: Dan di Palma | Jul 10, 2007 4:28:36 PM

Same old crap, another High and Mighty Republican who is fighting equal rights for gays because the Bible preaches that homosexuality is a sin. Well so is Adultery, in fact, its carved in stone, known as the 10 commandments. Such a hypocrite. I hope Hustler exposes them all. You know, the only laws written by God himself never addressed homosexuality, the perceived great evil against God loving American families as the Republicans put it. Do as I say, not as I do!!! The Republican motto for success.

Posted by: Kevin | Jul 10, 2007 4:32:26 PM

It is about time someone started paying for what they the republicans did to President Clinton. I hope theyk rot in hell

Posted by: al | Jul 10, 2007 4:45:00 PM

This so closely parallels John Steinbeck's East of Eden, in which the character Kate is a madam who collects information on VIPs and hoards it to blackmail or destroy them later in life. Seems like a no-brainer of what VIPs should not do, even if they need to recall high school literature class! In the end, Kate kills herself. So shame on everyone, sheesh.

Posted by: guest | Jul 10, 2007 4:53:55 PM

Why is it that ABC Couldn't find out the people on the list? I have personally been calling for them to publish the list ever since this story came out. Brian Ross is FALLIN DOWN ON THE JOB! He just CAN'T FIND OUT WHO IS ON THE LIST, I saw him on TV telling everyone that they "just couldn't find anyone of importance on that list. . . . Oh My Oh My! My head hurts!!!

Posted by: artist0122 | Jul 10, 2007 5:05:32 PM

To me it was and is very fishy that ABC news could had the records and said they checked it out for the American people and basically the DC madam was exagerating its importance and the big names that had used her service. If it wasn't for Hustler magazine the public would still not have gotten the real story. It just reinforces what I have long believed. Network news is compromised by the corporate owners and if the public really wants to get news they should do it on the Internet, C-SPAN, Democracy Now, not network tv.

Posted by: Jim Moreno | Jul 10, 2007 5:07:14 PM

Remember this people: When someone goes around pointing the finger and telling others how BAD they are and that what they are doing is WRONG, you can bet your bottom dollar those people are with DOING that very thing, or they are thinking about doing it.

Posted by: artist0122 | Jul 10, 2007 5:15:52 PM

The sweet hypocrisy is absolutely delicious.

So what that David Vitter preaches about the sanctity of marriage and abstinence. He isn't really talking about himself. He is talking about others and the stupid religious wackos who buy this crap

Posted by: vittersboyfriend | Jul 10, 2007 6:35:45 PM

Vitter ran on a 'Moral Issues" platform. He solicited a call girl, which is the same penalty as being a call girl. Of course, he will use his elitist connections and not serve any time or face any penalty. And, according to Vitter "God has Forgiven Me". How humble. I am sure he got an overnight priority Fedex straight from Heaven. And, what about the girl he abused? She would have to serve time if caught. These phony moralists will send non-violent offenders to prison for life for three strikes. It is about the Hypocracy. Bush offers no pardons in Texas, and his henchman Libby walks. Heck of a Job...

Posted by: LegalizeIt | Jul 10, 2007 7:00:24 PM

Can't Larry Flint just be satisfied with the fact that he outlived his "nemesis" Jerry Falwell and just leave well enough alone?? He would do better devoting some of his time, effort and money to the Gulf Coast Recovery.....41 out of 64 parishes were decimated in Louisiana and I am a hurricane Rita victim....

Senator Vitter is gonna get my vote so he betta not resign and according to the surveys he is gonna get a lot of folks votes and I'm a registered Democrat!!!!!! We all knew about the so called "Wendy Cortez" so now we just know a little more of the rest of the story.....Yawn......Next topic please!!!!

Posted by: Sharon Mounier | Jul 10, 2007 7:09:20 PM

I'm sure if the Republicans would keep their noses out of our bedrooms, we'd keep out of theirs!!!!

Posted by: Wendy | Jul 10, 2007 7:15:38 PM

US government requirements.

Know how to steal, cheat, lie and sleep around.

Have no morals, values, integrity or shame.

Disgrace our Fore Fathers and those who have better qualities for the job.

Posted by: quilts4m2nv | Jul 10, 2007 7:34:50 PM

Well, what can I say? It has been covered by the posters before me... Oh well... For all of those, who wanted to take Clinton's job... Most of them, were no clean, and they really are hypocrites... The worst kind of awful person... Fore...

Posted by: Janeyre | Jul 10, 2007 8:39:27 PM

Gee IamZilla, if they didn't run a platform of Family Values, they wouldn't fall so hard... You can't take down, someone, without evidence... Remember how hard, they tried to take Clinton down? Remember how much $$$$ they spent of tax dollar's trying to take Clinton Down? Well, it's their turn now... Hmmm...

Posted by: Janeyre | Jul 10, 2007 8:41:56 PM

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