Swing State Project

Eliot Spitzer 2006:

Eliot Spitzer was born on June 10, 1959 in the Bronx. He is a 1981 graduate of Princeton University and a 1984 graduate of Harvard Law School, where he was an editor of the Harvard Law Review, and where he met his wife Silda, also a Harvard Law School graduate.

Eliot and his wife, Silda, live in Manhattan with their three daughters, Elyssa, Sarabeth and Jenna and also maintain a home in Columbia County.

Eliot Spitzer was first elected New York State Attorney General in 1998 in a stunning upset. Eliot brought considerable experience to the office when he became the state's 63rd Attorney General on January 1, 1999. He was a clerk to United States District Court Judge Robert W. Sweet and then, an associate at Paul Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton, and Garrison.

From 1986 to 1992, Eliot served as an Assistant District Attorney in Manhattan, rising to become Chief of the Labor Racketeering Unit, where he successfully prosecuted organized crime and political corruption cases. He later worked at the New York law firm of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher and Flom, and was a partner at Constantine & Partners. In 2002, he was re-elected New York State Attorney General with the largest winning margin--1,509,403 votes--of any statewide candidate.

There is a great tradition in New York of Attorneys General being aggressive public advocates. Since Eliot took office in January 1999, he has continued this tradition. Working with a team of dedicated professionals, Eliot has won important victories in the areas of investor protection, healthcare and prescription drugs, environmental protection, consumer affairs, civil rights, criminal justice and public safety.

When New York Magazine gave him their Public Service Award, they wrote, "... if you've heard of it, Spitzer did it. Spitzer demonstrated that you win these fights with hard work, a zest for battle--and, most of all, with facts (and a great staff). Sure he gets headlines, but unlike a lot of people in public life, he does the work that earns them. What he gets is results."

In 2003, Eliot's office recovered $1.74 billion in penalties, fees and tobacco money -- a 34 percent increase over the record $1.3 billion collected in 2002. The New York Observer editorialized, "Mr. Spitzer probably has done more to stabilize the state's finances in the last few years than any other elected official. By refusing to look the other way as C.E.O.'s and financial institutions ripped off New Yorkers, he helped bail out the state during a difficult budget crisis. "

Eliot Spitzer: The Two Billion Dollar Man – 5/26/04

The San Francisco Chronicle named Eliot their 2003 "Businessperson of the Year," saying that he was "all about looking out for the little guy." The Wall Street Journal Editorial Board called his 2003 investigation of the mutual fund industry a "public service" and the New York Times editorialized, "Investors can be grateful that the attorney general is once again propelling the inquiries."

Businessperson of the Year: Eliot Spitzer – 12/31/03

Revenge of the Investor Class – 10/23/03

Mutual Fund Misdeeds 9/5/03

TIME Magazine named Eliot Spitzer their 2002 "Crusader of the Year" for his landmark settlement with ten of the nation's largest securities firms over charges of misleading investors--and posed the question, "What will Spitzer do for an encore?"

Time Magazine names Eliot Spitzer "Crusader of the Year" – 12/21/02

Then, there is Eliot's leadership in protecting our environment. As a result of a 2002 lawsuit he filed to keep clean-air policy intact, the United States Court of Appeals recently blocked a Bush administration attempt to weaken the Clean Air Act. The New York Observer editorialized that we "need officials like Mr. Spitzer, because the Environmental Protection Agency has abdicated its responsibilities." After his settlement with Virginia Power over pollution from their power plants, the Albany Times-Union praised him in an editorial, "Take the moment to savor a rare victory. We will breathe a little easier as a result."

Spitzer versus the Pollution President – 11/16/03

State in Clean Air Lawsuit against power company – 5/21/04