On Monday, New York State Governor Eliot Spitzer held a news conference at New York City Hall to address newspaper reports that he had been directly involved in a prostitution ring. While Common Cause adheres to the core American belief that individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty, Governor Spitzer's brief statement did nothing to quell that suspicion.

Common Cause/NY is stunned and saddened by law enforcement allegations that Gov. Spitzer was involved in such activities. While news reports have raised concerns about the origins of the investigation, the allegations remain deeply troubling and problematic because Mr. Spitzer ran for governor of New York as an ethical reformer, and has spent his legal and political career fighting corruption. It is disappointing to see that an official with such promise, in whom so many New Yorkers had placed great hope, would allow himself to become embroiled in such a scandal.

Common Cause/NY believes an elected official's most important job is to uphold the public trust. And sadly, that appears now to be broken. As this saga unfolds, Common Cause/NY remains committed to working with New York's leaders to bring about the reforms that New Yorkers so clearly want. We invite you to join us in the ongoing fight for open and accountable state government.