"Kristen," Gov. Spitzer's Call Girl, Now Has a Face and a Name

The New York Times has posted a story on its Web site that seems to be the first to name, and show photos of, the woman called "Kristen" who is the prostitute at the center of NY Governor Eliot Spitzer's downfall.

The Times identified the woman as 22-year-old Ashley Alexandra Dupré (born Ashley Youmans), and her identity became known because she made a court appearance as a witness against the four people arrested and charged with running the Emperors Club VIP prostitution ring.

Dupré gave several phone interviews Tuesday night, the Times says, and said that she had felt a lot of stress from the Spitzer case and hadn't slept much in the last week. And yes, she has a MySpace page.

The article says that Ashley Alexandra Dupré is originally from New Jersey and came to New York City as a teen and worked at nightclubs with hopes of being an R&B singer.

“I just don’t want to be thought of as a monster,” Dupré said, adding, "This has been a very difficult time. It is complicated.”

Dupré has not been charged in the Emperors Club VIP case, but her lawyer noted that she had been subpoenaed to testify before a grand jury.

Ashley Alexandra Dupré didn't say how many times she met with Spitzer, how many meetings she had been on through Emperors Club VIP, or when she started working for the outfit.

NY Governor - "Client 9" of Emperor Club VIP

The governor of New York, Eliot Spitzer, came out and apologized today for... um, something. What he didn't say is that he's been accused of being involved with Emperors Club VIP, a high-class prostitution ring. The New York Times first reported the story, and it's been confirmed by other sources, which note that he was caught on a Federal wiretap soliciting the services of a high-priced, um, "companion." He was identified as "Client 9" in the investigation.

As you can imagine, the Web site for Emperors Club VIP is not available, "Due to high volume of traffic," it says, Yeah, I bet! Maybe some of the governor's constituents will be relieved to know that Spitzer has been only frequenting high-class hookers, not the skanky street-corner variety that hang out by the Lincoln Tunnel.

Here's what the link to the Emperors Club VIP Web site says:
"::Emperors Club Vip::.welcome Models Elite Companions Concierge ... -
International model companions, London, New York, Los Angeles, Paris, Europe, Tokyo, Elite companions, VIP models.
www.emperorsclubvip.com/EmperorsClubVipWelcomeX_ models_elite_companion_travel_luxury.html"

Always the political animal, Spitzer made only a one-minute statement in which he apologized for letting down his family and his constituents, or something using similar weasel words. But he didn't say for what he was apologizing (just some kind of personal failing), didn't mention the prostitution allegations, didn't resign, and didn't take questions.

Considering that Spitzer, a former prosecutor, ran for governor on an anti-corruption platform, his career seems to be toast, whether he chooses to resign today or later on.

So it seems time to familiarize ourselves with David Paterson, New York's lieutenant governor. Not only would he become the state's first black governor, but the state's first legally blind chief executive.