Larry Cunningham on Spitzer’s Unforgivable Character Flaw: Hypocrisy

While I object vehemently to the unethical practices Spitzer displayed while serving as attorney general, some people even now  applaud his zealotry when prosecuting and investigating financial powerhouses and rich and powerful individuals. But hypocrisy is a character flaw that cannot be forgiven or redeemed. I would not trust such a man to be dog catcher let alone put in charge of a city’s financial affairs.

New Yorkers would do well to recall this passage from the 2010 book by Peter Elkind about the disgraced politician (pp. 259-260):

Spitzer’s entire political strategy was based on his projection of an image as a moralist.   That he broke numerous laws, so furtively and mischievously, to engage in extramarital sex with young women blew his cover. He was not what he portrayed himself to be. At best, he was a hypocrite. His tactics in the cases he brought underscored that he was not, in fact, the devotee of the rule of law or proponent of justice he and his media friends projected. But in their zeal to condemn, Spitzer and his fans overlooked many principles of legal ethics designed to prevent prosecutors from harassing citizens and unfairly or wantonly destroying reputations.

via www.concurringopinions.com