Gov. 'Met 8 Women for $80K Sex'

New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer had eight or more trysts with prostitutes from the Emperors Club escort agency over the last several years, a source has told Newsday. The sexual encounters, costing as much as $80,000 in cash, unfolded in hotels in Washington, Florida and elsewhere. Spitzer allegedly paid for the encounters by wiring money to front companies set up by the New Jersey operation. One call girl who claimed to have spent time with the governor described him to ABC News as a good tipper.

As more sordid details of the scandal become public, Spitzer is reportedly preparing to resign today. For now, Spitzer is holed up in his Manhattan apartment, still retaining the state's highest office as his only bargaining chip in negotiations with the federal authorities, reports the Albany Times Union. "The governor should have time to reflect and repair the damage he's done to his family," said one state lawmaker.  (More Eliot Spitzer stories.)