The Spitzer Loan

Here is a copy of that letter from upstate Republican state Senator George Winner asking the Committee on Elections to “investigate” and “subpoena” information about the controversial campaign loan Eliot Spitzer received from his dad during his 1998 attorney general’s race.

The story of the loan isn’t new, and neither is Spitzer’s apology. Spitzer said he funded his 1998 race from a loan he secured through a bank. Later he admitted his father was helping to repay that loan.

But Winner’s letter cites a recent New York Magazine article in which Spitzer is quoted saying, “I didn’t realize how necessary it was to be transparent about every personal financial transaction.”

If a campaign doesn’t fully repay a loan by election day, it’s suppose to count as a contribution.