Democrat alleges double standard for GOP

• By MARK BALLARD
• Advocate Capitol News Bureau
• Published: Mar 12, 2008 - Page: 1A - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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The Republican Governor’s Association, of which Gov. Bobby Jindal is on the four-member executive board, called for New York Gov. Elliott Spitzer to resign because of his associations with a prostitute in Washington, D.C.

Jindal refused to make a similar demand Tuesday of U.S. Sen. David Vitter, R-La., who was implicated in a similar scandal.

Jindal co-hosted a Feb. 16 fundraiser for Vitter at the Aquarium of the Americas in New Orleans that raised $430,000.

Jindal did not return requests to answer questions Tuesday.

His press office released a prepared statement quoting the governor as saying: “Senator Vitter has already addressed this and is back at work for the people of Louisiana. The people of New York can deal with the Governor of New York.”

State Democratic Party Chairman Chris Whittington condemned Jindal for refusing to renounce the demands of the GOP association he helps lead.

“It’s a double standard. What he’s saying is it’s OK for Republicans to do it,” said Whittington, a Baton Rouge lawyer.

“I wish the governor would be the same with everybody,” Whittington said.

Spitzer, a 48-year-old Democrat, was holed up in his New York City apartment Tuesday with aides and was considering resigning, according to published reports.

The governor, who ran on a platform of cleaning up corruption in that state’s government, was caught on a federal wiretap arranging to meet a prostitute before Valentine’s Day, according to The New York Times.

Federal prosecutors charged four people with operating the service, Emperor’s Club V.I.P. The accompanying affidavit did not identify Spitzer by name.

On Monday, Spitzer, a married father of three daughters, apologized in a brief public statement.

Vitter, the 46-year-old married father of four who was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2004, admitted in a short statement in July to a “very serious sin” after his phone number was one of those on the client list of Deborah Jeane Palfrey. Federal prosecutors said she ran a prostitution operation.