Comments (58)

Mrs Panstreppon wrote on March 9, 2007 3:53 PM:

According to Smoking Gun, Palfrey already named Dick Morris as a former client in court filings but I suppose that's no big surprise. Kind of hard to ruin Dick Morris's reputation in any case.

nofltwlt wrote on March 9, 2007 3:56 PM:

Why on earth would a judge gag the madam? What business is it of the governemnt who her clients were?

Stick to the charge at hand.

thehim wrote on March 9, 2007 4:05 PM:

According to Smoking Gun, Palfrey already named Dick Morris as a former client in court filings but I suppose that's no big surprise.

I would be surprised if he wasn't on the list.

Jim wrote on March 9, 2007 4:06 PM:

I thought the great Law and Order position was that johns should be held up for public ridicule and prosecuted as vigorously as prostitutes?

FREE THE DC MADAME!!!!!!!

Dave Hysinger wrote on March 9, 2007 4:06 PM:

Uh, huh, huh, he said "hand."

RT wrote on March 9, 2007 4:14 PM:

The prosecutors want to gag the madam?

Kinky!

JohnW wrote on March 9, 2007 4:15 PM:

Gee, isn't it the "Government' that now outs johns who get caught patrtonizing the local hookers?

jOHN RYAN wrote on March 9, 2007 4:16 PM:

No GAG !!

JohnW wrote on March 9, 2007 4:17 PM:

Oh that's right....these are not Congressmen or big time DC laywers or Lobbyists!

nellieh wrote on March 9, 2007 4:18 PM:

There is no Crime. Pardon the DC Madame!!!

Anonymous wrote on March 9, 2007 4:20 PM:

What has wo her clients to do with charges against her? Are they afraid they may have to charge the johns!

Edog wrote on March 9, 2007 4:22 PM:

No doubt the judge was a client!

Stan wrote on March 9, 2007 4:23 PM:

Looks like some folks in DC are quaking in their boots. Could some FBI and/or Justice officials names be on that list? Hmmm?

Inquiring minds want to know.

drew wrote on March 9, 2007 4:25 PM:

"FREE THE DC MADAME!!!!!!!"

i need a t-shirt of this. i can wear it on the days my "LEAVE PEE-WEE ALONE!" and "FREE JAMES BROWN." shirts are in the wash.

B wrote on March 9, 2007 4:26 PM:

Do we know how she received the phone records? This protective order would only stop the scam if they were given to her by the Government attorneys.

If she had these documents on her own, she can blackmail to her heart's delight.

Anonymous wrote on March 9, 2007 4:27 PM:

The US Attorney for DC used to be a Gonzales and Ashcroft close advisor. And it is he who wants to keep the madam and her book gagged.

Coincedence?

Brooklynite wrote on March 9, 2007 4:28 PM:

Maybe the judge already gagged a couple of her employees.

But anyway, who here hates airline food?

bob wrote on March 9, 2007 4:32 PM:

The reason the judge might gag her is this: She's being charged with racketeering. Any valuable assets used in racketeering can be confiscated (money, cars, houses...and customer lists). The government claims that the list belongs to them and should be confiscated.

If she is acquited, she can try to get them back, but I think the chances are close to nil. I personally don't think that is consitutional, but that's the law.

EH wrote on March 9, 2007 4:36 PM:

Eh, it's easy to give advice like this when you're not in her position, but I'd say she should martyr herself and just leak the thing.

bjobotts wrote on March 9, 2007 4:37 PM:

The IRS only goes after those who have no funds to stop them. The IRS is an illegal agency operating without constitutional authority, but backed by the government because they have the guns and manpower not the law or right to seize anything.

STOP REAL ID BEFORE MAY, 2008 OR YOU WILL BE JUST A NUMBER.

Anonymous wrote on March 9, 2007 4:40 PM:

Whoremongering will out, just like murder!!
I can't wait to see the list that will no doubt include members of the family values crowd.
YEE-haw!!

oberle wrote on March 9, 2007 4:41 PM:

She should sell the book quickly, or at least make photocopies of it.

tbhull wrote on March 9, 2007 4:45 PM:

She should immediately transfer copies of the lists, names and phone records to an offshore charitable organization established for her indigent legal defense. She could also transfer it to a friend that does not have dirt on their hands for them to sell and/or publish at their unfettered leisure.

While she should not profit from any wrong doing, the government/judge should not be able to silence the free flow of information/speech. I simply do not see a compelling state interest once the accused's profit motive has been eliminated. Cover the bloated asses of the corrupt pigs that wallow in the filth of DC politics is not a compelling state interest. I do not see the DC US Attorney that interested in keeping Scooter Libby from righting a book at some point in the future about the Plame affair.

Let the information see the light of day immediately.

tbhull wrote on March 9, 2007 4:48 PM:

writing

chuck wrote on March 9, 2007 4:57 PM:

It always happens in these cases because of this male dominated society. You can be sure that they will make it clear to her that she will have a minimal sentence if she shuts up. Remember the Hollywood Madame? Nobody ever really found out who was using Heidis' girls. Meanwhile if a black kid steals food the weight of the system comes down on his neck.

Dem-agog wrote on March 9, 2007 5:02 PM:

It would be nice, just for ONCE, if we got to see what [married, bible-thumpin' rightwing] politicos are on one of these happy-hooker lists!

But it NEVER happens! NEVER!

abc wrote on March 9, 2007 5:10 PM:

I hate to ask, but: Gag her with what? (sorry)

Mysterion wrote on March 9, 2007 5:21 PM:

Is the sale covered under the Telecommunications Act of 1996, or did congress actually do something to protect the privacy of phone records after last years' Wesley Clark kerfluffle?
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2006/01/wireless_calling_records.html

oldtree wrote on March 9, 2007 5:24 PM:

shall we begin a collection to defend her in exchange for making the list public?

I will donate to that one. it is fun to watch the important explain to others how bitchen they are.

get a site together and we can get her attorney's paypal link

Anonymous wrote on March 9, 2007 5:29 PM:

Here's where it all comes together...

Defense contractors, Cunningham, Wilkes, Foggo...

Shirlington limo, Watergate hotel...

CIA, FBI, Congress and the Washington glitterai...

Sounds to me like the black book could be the lynchpin.

Saguaro wrote on March 9, 2007 5:46 PM:

Wingnuts will want President to issue a Pardon to GOP Clients - even before the trial begins.

Clovis wrote on March 9, 2007 5:47 PM:

Is this the same madame that the "Dukestir" Cunningham, Foggo and Foggo's friend from DMZ contracting was supposedly using? Maybe I'm totally confusing all of this information. It's so difficult to keep all of the scandals for the past six years straight!!! Hey TPM, you need to hire someone just to document all of this and then even sell scorecards to us, the readers, so we can play along at home. CAUTION: OFF TOPIC: Thank you so much, Paul, Greg, Josh and David for making this one of the MOST MEMORABLE weeks of my life!!! I have been reading this site religiously for probably close to two years this summer and what is it with you guys and your investigative stories? EVERY Story that you guys have investigated: The Dukestir, Bob Ney, Social Security, Plame/Libby, DMZ Contractors, Abramoff and Delay(my personal favorites) and now the USA's started out as an unknown or as some trolls call it a "no-story" such as Plame being outed, stories and then they get picked up by the "Big" main stream outlets and then they have conclusions that aren't what the Bush/Cheney group would want. I would hate to be the next group that you guys get in the crosshairs. This week was like all of this bad Karma has finally come home to roost with this evil regime. Only 21 1/2 more months of this terribel national nightmare!!

Clovis wrote on March 9, 2007 5:51 PM:

sorry, terribel should have been terrible.

Unmitigated Audacity wrote on March 9, 2007 5:55 PM:

I'd like to see the list of clients just to see who among the righteous "values" zealots are actually hetero.

solfood wrote on March 9, 2007 5:58 PM:

I'm not that familiar with these legal terms. Is gag order some kind of kinky, S&M stuff?

suds wrote on March 9, 2007 6:33 PM:

Is the information pertinenet to the charges?

If she has not auctioned the information, there is no asset.

If she threatens to leak them, she may have some bargaining leverage. IF she never leaks them, she will have gotten something in a bargain.

Moloch wrote on March 9, 2007 7:06 PM:

I'd guess she figures someone might put a lot of pressure on the prosecutors for a plea bargain so their name doesn't come out. I'm pretty sure they can't prevent her from selling the phone records, but they can certainly prevent her from profiting. So the statements are more useful to her as leverage than as a money-maker (which suggests, alas, that we'll never see them).

Ryogam wrote on March 9, 2007 7:27 PM:

She is accused of facilitating prostitution, correct?

The list contain the names of people alleged to have used her services to procure a prostitute.

Her defense should be, "Well, I do not know if I facilitated prostitution or not. For my defense, I must NAME AS WITNESSES AND POSSIBLY CALL TO TRIAL EVERYONE ON THE LIST which may have used my services. In order to get the names and current addresses (in order to send a subpoena, don't you know)of these potential witnesses, I must publicize the numbers."

Christ, I hate prosecutors like this. Real principal stand for justice here. Get the madam, forget the johns.

Clem Snodgrass wrote on March 9, 2007 8:40 PM:

Judges don't just squelch madame hookers for no reason. They don't put gag orders on just any whore. But if you've been following the Duke Cunningham/Brad Wilkes/Dusty Foggo corruption scandal, you know about the hotel the CIA used to throw parties, oftentimes inviting Congressmen, among whom were Duke Cunningham, it seems...hence, gag order, on a woman who ISN'T just any whore. She is, let's say, the Scooter Libby of whores - a whore with songs to sing, if it came down to it.

At these parties, there were cigars and the finest whiskey and - yup - prostitutes. This scandal involves dirty contractors, the CIA and members of Congress who frequented the parties and screwed the whores. This woman, were she to sing, well, one can only imagine the lyrics to her song...believe it, it wouldn't spare Dems or Republicans, but for sure it'd be another catastrophic Republican embarrassment. Oh yeah.

Can we just call the judge dirty as shit, on the take, operating as per Rovian orders? Can we do that at this point? I mean, isn't it just fuck-obvious that every single aspect of government is tainted at this point?

Munguza wrote on March 9, 2007 9:09 PM:

If I were her, I would ID one hot political customer on that phone list --preferably someone retired from office-- and leak his name to the press. Just give them a taste of what's possible and they'll think twice.

SouthCarolina lady wrote on March 9, 2007 9:23 PM:

Go, girl!

chris miller wrote on March 9, 2007 9:28 PM:

She, as a natural person cannot sell the phone records, but Verizon - or whatever phone company she had - can claim *rights* to sell them.

Quick Downloader wrote on March 9, 2007 9:51 PM:

Having downloaded the phone bill page
prior to the Florida numbers being
redacted, I checked one number in
Orlando and it was a 12.2 minute charge
to the Orlando Lighting Commision.

I have all the phone numbers.

Joseph Schmoe wrote on March 9, 2007 11:36 PM:

Quick Downloader,

Where are these phone numbers available for downloading? We could turn this into a class project and put names to the numbers for everyone to see.

Post here or e-mail me, I'd enjoy doing some research.

Richard L. Adlof wrote on March 10, 2007 12:31 AM:

INQUIRY: Which current American President said:

" No! If she sells her address book my kids will find out that I am not as cool as I pretend to be . . . Wait . . . Is my daddy in that book?"

PDX wrote on March 10, 2007 12:45 AM:

by "PROSTITUTES" i am assuming that means female? Who knows?..Maybe Jeff Gannon was an employee..

Frank S wrote on March 10, 2007 3:52 AM:

We'll give Haggard and Foley a free pass on this one:-)

Do you suppose the government is "hiding" the list becasue Dubya and Karl might be on it?

dono wrote on March 10, 2007 4:09 AM:

Gag order...heh

Phoenix Woman wrote on March 10, 2007 10:34 AM:

"Here's where it all comes together...

Defense contractors, Cunningham, Wilkes, Foggo...

Shirlington limo, Watergate hotel...

CIA, FBI, Congress and the Washington glitterai...

Sounds to me like the black book could be the lynchpin."

Yupper!

Everyone knows full well that if the list were mostly Democrats and/or had no prominent Republicans on it, the Bushistas wouldn't be trying to suppress it.

digiwalt wrote on March 10, 2007 5:36 PM:

"Sounds to me like the black book could be the lynchpin."

It's actually spelled "linchpin" but your spelling is more appropriate.

Anonymous wrote on March 11, 2007 2:33 PM:

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The family values, pro-life, little servants of Jesus hypocrites soon to be exposed -- if we're lucky.

tothepoint wrote on March 12, 2007 11:15 PM:

prosecutors make no claim that their gag request is about seized assets. read their motion and you'll see it's because the information is 'sensitive' and could cause those named financial harm. the department of justice actively publicizes pictures and information about sex offenders. they do so precisely because the information is sensitive and could cause financial harm.

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artist22 wrote on May 7, 2007 1:02 PM:

If any of the fine "sheep" actually believe that there were no "big names" on that list, then I havea big bridge in my backyard for sale, cheap! I'll bet there were plenty of "big names" on that
list, including members of staff, congress ceo's and media types. If they got rid of everyone on
the list, we wouldn't have any government (if that is what you call it) at all and tv and big
corporations would have to shut their doors. This is the way it always is. . . they fire a few
poor secretaries trying to eek out a living and ruin their lives and cause them to commit suicide
and the "big dogs" all slink away scott free with their zippers in tact. This the AMERICAN way
don't you all know this? As well, ABC or any other media group cannot release these names until the TRIAL. To do anything other than this would be considered slander in a court of law. The best thing to do is BOYCOT ABC and then they will find out what they should have done.

The bush administration is the most corrupt that has ever been in the history of the US. They rely
on their moral right "sheep" to do their bidding and then they can get away with their dirty work
without anyone seeing them for what they really are. It is funny to me that now the Repubs are being seen for their true "family values" everyone wants to legalize prostitution. It should never have been illegal and if the US Government could figure out a way to TAX prostitution, it would definitely be legal.

There is something I have noticed in my long life. When you find any person who is constantly
going on and on and on about any subject, and they make comment after comment when no one has
really asked them, you can "bet your boots" that they are doing that very thing they are commenting about.
This includes people in religion, government and even regular people. (ie "Methinks thou protesteth too much.")(i.e. Ted Haggard, Newt Gingrich, Mark Foley, etc etc

All I have to say is "YOU VOTED FOR 'EM". . . . glad I didn't

artist22