Judge Rules to Release Spitzer Wiretaps

A Manhattan judge has ordered the government to make public sealed documents about wiretaps in the Eliot Spitzer scandal.

U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff ordered prosecutors Thursday to release documents detailing calls on cell phones used by a prostitution ring whose clients included the former governor. The documents were not immediately released; prosecutors will have a chance to appeal.

The New York Times sued late last year to get the material unsealed. The newspaper has agreed to allow the government to withhold the names of 67 customers named in the documents.

Spitzer resigned last year after details were revealed of a tryst with one of the ring's prostitutes in a Washington hotel. Investigators had been looking into the governor's affairs after noticing unusual activity -- later shown to be payments to prostitutes -- in his bank accounts. Spitzer was tracked using court-ordered wiretaps.

Court papers allege Spitzer paid thousands of dollars to use the services of former call girl Ashley Alexandra Dupre, and law enforcement officials have said the former governor had a Feb. 13, 2008 tryst with Dupre, then 22, in the Mayflower Hotel in Washington.

Spitzer allegedly paid for Dupre to take a train from New York to D.C. -- a move that opened the transaction up to federal prosecution because she crossed state lines.

Spitzer, who was referred to as Client 9 in federal documents, was alleged to be a repeat customer with the Emperors Club VIP, a high-end prostitution service.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.