Deborah Jeane Palfrey: ‘Alleged’ D.C. Madam No More
Last year, Deborah Jeane Palfrey, the so-called “D.C. Madam,” was suggested as a possible running mate for John McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee. But thanks to a development from earlier this afternoon, that probably won’t be happening. From the AP:
A federal jury has convicted a woman of running a high-end prostitution ring that catered to members of Washington’s political elite.The verdict against Deborah Jeane Palfrey was announced in a courtroom Tuesday afternoon.
Palfrey has repeatedly denied the escort service engaged in prostitution, and that any sex acts happened without her knowledge. Palfrey caused a sensation last year when she announced that she would sell her phone records to news outlets to pay for her defense.
But the trial didn’t reveal many new details about the service or the identities of its clientele. Republican Sen. David Vitter of Louisiana was linked to the case but didn’t testify.
Well, even if it wasn’t as explosive as expected, the trial yielded up a few new juicy details. Like the fact that one of Palfrey’s escorts was a former professor and university department chair. Or the fact that Palfrey’s prostitution service was patronized by several well-pedigreed lawyers (including Yale law grad Christopher Sorrow, who is presumably pretty sorrowful about being involved in this mess). Or the fact that Palfrey employed “testers,” like trial witness Paul Huang, to evaluate the suitability of aspiring escorts (think “Consume-Ho Reports”).
And the show’s not over just yet. Palfrey has made a spectacle of herself from the start of this case, and we still have a sentencing and possible appeal to look forward to. So stay tuned.
Woman convicted of running Washington prostitution service [AP]
Professor for Hire [Inside Higher Ed via TaxProf Blog]
Four Former Call Girls Testify at Palfrey Trial [Washington Post]
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This woman is disgusting. She exploited everyone around her and then tried to destroy the lives of her employees and customers. If prostitution were a legalized and closely regulated business, like it is in Nevada, criminals like her would go the way of Al Capone.
When only 10 or 11 comments accompany a post, you have a pretty decent shot of being first.
How do I get a job as a "tester"?
There are still lots of illegal prostitutes in Nevada (or so I've heard), mostly because of all the regulation. It needs to be legalized and deregulated.
Wow, it looks like the professor escort was in her mid-to-late 50s when she worked as an escort.
DJP is really a rotten person. She basically FORCED the government to trial and wasted everyone's money. Reason: To hurt and drag down as many people as poss. The fact is, there were hookers and johns. Naughty naughty. They are totally paying a price. IRS went through their records...public humilitation, etc. However, as the owner of the biz....DJP is the head of a criminal enterprise and as such, she takes the heaviest fall in this case. So be it. She had it coming. Why did she hold on to records of escorts from 10 years ago... a note of one escort's STD...??? One reason: Blackmail.
Brenda from England:
The US Government psychologically tortured Deborah Jeane Palfrey to the point of suicide, (in other words to the point of murder).
From an international human rights point of view she was totally innocent.
Why did the US Government do such a thing to her? So they could steal her assets and life savings and claim everything was done legally.
Deborah worked hard for her money, she was an intelligent, successful and hard working business woman.
In her 52 years of existence she never hurt one soul, she was a sweet and beautiful person.
Every single government official involved with her case (or torture) have her blood on their hands. The US government basically murdered her just so they could steal her money.
Only a very cruel government could do such a thing.
(Deborah - I as a fellow human being love and respect you with all my heart, I know you were innocent just like Jesus was innocent of all charges brought upon him before he was crucified - God bless your soul).