Kristin Davis (politician)
Encyclopedia
Kristin M. Davis, formerly known as the Manhattan Madam, is a former madam
famous for having run one of the prostitution rings that Governor of New York
Eliot Spitzer
frequented prior to the scandal
leading to his resignation.
, the escort service at the center of the Eliot Spitzer prostitution scandal
, and has suggested that Spitzer frequented her services as well. Among her employees was a woman named Irma Nici, who claims to have served Spitzer and English footballer David Beckham
during her time in Davis's agency. Indeed, she stated on The Joy Behar Show
that Spitzer was blacklist
ed from her agency for his behavior toward her staff. Davis served four months in prison on Rikers Island
for her role in the scandal and was sentenced to five years probation, which was cut short at two and a half years in November 2010. Davis claims she witnessed "psychosexual torture" during her time on Rikers Island. She says that she has ended her involvement in the prostitution
industry as a madam after serving that jail time. Prior to her work in prostitution, she worked in the back office of a hedge fund
operation.
Davis announced in 2011 that she would be opening "Hope House," a nonprofit organization designed to assist women affected by sex trafficking. A hotline is to be set up within the year, while a full shelter will be constructed in 2013 if the funds allow it.
Davis claimed in 2011 that her agency provided prostitutes to Dominique Strauss-Kahn
in 2006, but that he was "rough and angry", and according to her, "When men abuse women I'm no longer going to protect their identities."
on the Anti-Prohibition line. She ran on a platform of legalizing prostitution
, marijuana and same sex marriage, and firearms rights. Among her unorthodox campaign strategies was the naming of her campaign committee as "Friends of Kristin Davis," which abbreviated to FOKD
. She has stated a goal of raising $2 million for her campaign. She admits that she does not believe she can win. She also stated:
Roger Stone
, who previously worked as an operative for former Presidents Richard Nixon
, Ronald Reagan
and George Bush, Sr., was initially named as Davis's campaign manager, and is still listed as so as of April 2010, though he has also been cooperating with his protege, Michael Caputo, on a competing campaign by Buffalo developer Carl Paladino
. Stone has stated that the two candidates have distinct goals (Davis is only seeking to gain the requisite 50,000 votes, while Paladino, in Stone's perception, has an actual chance to win), and as such he does not believe there is a direct conflict of interest
. Stone also said he accepted his position in the Davis campaign before Paladino entered the race. Caputo has stated that he believes Davis will at least outdraw Conservative Party nominee Rick Lazio
.
Davis competed against Sam Sloan and Guilderland attorney Warren Redlich
for the nomination of the Libertarian Party of New York
. However, she refused to appear at the party's convention on April 24, 2010, leading to her name being left off the ballot and Redlich easily winning the nomination. Those within the party are concerned that Davis will splinter the Libertarian Party vote by running on her self-created ballot line. Several names for the line, including "Surprise Party," "Citizens Party," "Marijuana Legalization Party," "Hookers and Pot Party," "Personal Freedom Party" and "Reform Party" were rejected by outside sources (Personal Freedom due to a conflict with Charles Barron
's "Freedom Party
" despite Barron's much later entry into the gubernatorial race, and Reform Party due to a dispute with the national Reform Party), before settling on the name "Anti-Prohibition Party" in July 2010.
Davis has floated the name of Tucker Carlson
as a potential lieutenant governor candidate, but Carlson apparently declined. Instead, Anti-Prohibition Party petitions had Linda Espejo listed as the lieutenant governor candidate, though at least one report suggests that Espejo has declined the nomination, requiring a replacement to be named by a committee. The party named Jewish-Russian-American lawyer and community organizer Tanya Gendelman as Espejo's replacement. Randy Credico
, already running in the Democratic Party primary and cross-endorsed by the Libertarians, is the nominee for the Senate seat held by Chuck Schumer
. Vivia Morgan is the candidate for Kirsten Gillibrand's Senate seat
. Davis endorsed Democrat Kathleen Rice
for attorney general, though Rice will not appear on the APP line. Jeffrey Graham, the mayor of Watertown, endorsed Davis, and despite declining an invitation to be the APP lieutenant governor nominee, he continued to campaign for Davis at his business and on his Web site.
Davis finished with 20,898 votes in the official vote tally, less than half the necessary votes to qualify as a political party. She finished in last place among those on the ballot. By comparison, Redlich finished with 46,091 votes in the same tally, more than double the total Davis drew; however, Caputo's prediction of beating Lazio came true, since Lazio only received 65 votes, all write-ins (as after failing to win the Republican nomination, Lazio dropped off the Reform Party nomination in favor of Paladino).
Davis has indicated that she will not return to politics. She had left open the possibility of running for any office that Spitzer sought, but Spitzer closed his campaign accounts in July 2011, making it extremely unlikely that Spitzer (or, by extension, Davis) will ever seek public office again.
Pimp
A pimp is an agent for prostitutes who collects part of their earnings. The pimp may receive this money in return for advertising services, physical protection, or for providing a location where she may engage clients...
famous for having run one of the prostitution rings that Governor of New York
Governor of New York
The Governor of the State of New York is the chief executive of the State of New York. The governor is the head of the executive branch of New York's state government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military and naval forces. The officeholder is afforded the courtesy title of His/Her...
Eliot Spitzer
Eliot Spitzer
Eliot Laurence Spitzer is an American lawyer, former Democratic Party politician, and political commentator. He was the co-host of In the Arena, a talk-show and punditry forum broadcast on CNN until CNN cancelled his show in July of 2011...
frequented prior to the scandal
Eliot Spitzer prostitution scandal
The Eliot Spitzer prostitution scandal began on March 10, 2008, when The New York Times reported that Democratic New York Governor Eliot Spitzer had patronized a prostitution service called Emperors Club VIP...
leading to his resignation.
Involvement in prostitution industry
Davis was a madam who competed with the Emperors Club VIPEmperors Club VIP
Emperors Club VIP was an international escort agency based in New York City, founded in 2004 by Mark Brener and Cecil Suwal and operated from the bank accounts of QAT Consulting Group, Inc., and QAT International, Inc...
, the escort service at the center of the Eliot Spitzer prostitution scandal
Eliot Spitzer prostitution scandal
The Eliot Spitzer prostitution scandal began on March 10, 2008, when The New York Times reported that Democratic New York Governor Eliot Spitzer had patronized a prostitution service called Emperors Club VIP...
, and has suggested that Spitzer frequented her services as well. Among her employees was a woman named Irma Nici, who claims to have served Spitzer and English footballer David Beckham
David Beckham
David Robert Joseph Beckham, OBE is an English footballer who plays midfield for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer, having previously played for Manchester United, Preston North End, Real Madrid, and A.C...
during her time in Davis's agency. Indeed, she stated on The Joy Behar Show
The Joy Behar Show
The Joy Behar Show is a news program and talk show that premiered on HLN on September 29, 2009. The show is hosted by Joy Behar, who is one of the five co-hosts of The View. The show originally aired in the 9:00PM EST slot and 8:00PM CST, but was moved to 10:00PM EST in January 2011...
that Spitzer was blacklist
Blacklist
A blacklist is a list or register of entities who, for one reason or another, are being denied a particular privilege, service, mobility, access or recognition. As a verb, to blacklist can mean to deny someone work in a particular field, or to ostracize a person from a certain social circle...
ed from her agency for his behavior toward her staff. Davis served four months in prison on Rikers Island
Rikers Island
Rikers Island is New York City's main jail complex, as well as the name of the island on which it sits, in the East River between Queens and the mainland Bronx, adjacent to the runways of LaGuardia Airport. The island itself is part of the borough of the Bronx, though it is included as part of...
for her role in the scandal and was sentenced to five years probation, which was cut short at two and a half years in November 2010. Davis claims she witnessed "psychosexual torture" during her time on Rikers Island. She says that she has ended her involvement in the prostitution
Prostitution
Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...
industry as a madam after serving that jail time. Prior to her work in prostitution, she worked in the back office of a hedge fund
Hedge fund
A hedge fund is a private pool of capital actively managed by an investment adviser. Hedge funds are only open for investment to a limited number of accredited or qualified investors who meet criteria set by regulators. These investors can be institutions, such as pension funds, university...
operation.
Davis announced in 2011 that she would be opening "Hope House," a nonprofit organization designed to assist women affected by sex trafficking. A hotline is to be set up within the year, while a full shelter will be constructed in 2013 if the funds allow it.
Davis claimed in 2011 that her agency provided prostitutes to Dominique Strauss-Kahn
Dominique Strauss-Kahn
Dominique Gaston André Strauss-Kahn , often referred to in the media, and by himself, as DSK, is a French economist, lawyer, politician, and member of the French Socialist Party...
in 2006, but that he was "rough and angry", and according to her, "When men abuse women I'm no longer going to protect their identities."
Gubernatorial campaign
Davis was a candidate in the New York gubernatorial election, 2010New York gubernatorial election, 2010
The New York gubernatorial election of 2010 was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2010, to elect the Governor of New York, who will serve a four-year term to begin in January 2011. Incumbent Democratic Governor David Paterson, elected as Lieutenant Governor in 2006 as the running mate of former Governor...
on the Anti-Prohibition line. She ran on a platform of legalizing prostitution
Prostitution
Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...
, marijuana and same sex marriage, and firearms rights. Among her unorthodox campaign strategies was the naming of her campaign committee as "Friends of Kristin Davis," which abbreviated to FOKD
Fuck
"Fuck" is an English word that is generally considered obscene which, in its most literal meaning, refers to the act of sexual intercourse. By extension it may be used to negatively characterize anything that can be dismissed, disdained, defiled, or destroyed."Fuck" can be used as a verb, adverb,...
. She has stated a goal of raising $2 million for her campaign. She admits that she does not believe she can win. She also stated:
Roger Stone
Roger Stone
Roger J. Stone, Jr. is an American political consultant and lobbyist who specializes in opposition research for the Republican National Committee in the United States....
, who previously worked as an operative for former Presidents Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
, Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
and George Bush, Sr., was initially named as Davis's campaign manager, and is still listed as so as of April 2010, though he has also been cooperating with his protege, Michael Caputo, on a competing campaign by Buffalo developer Carl Paladino
Carl Paladino
Carl Pasquale Paladino is an American businessman and political activist from Buffalo, New York. Paladino is the founder and chairman of Ellicott Development Company, a real estate development company he founded in 1973. He was the 2010 Republican nominee for the New York gubernatorial election,...
. Stone has stated that the two candidates have distinct goals (Davis is only seeking to gain the requisite 50,000 votes, while Paladino, in Stone's perception, has an actual chance to win), and as such he does not believe there is a direct conflict of interest
Conflict of interest
A conflict of interest occurs when an individual or organization is involved in multiple interests, one of which could possibly corrupt the motivation for an act in the other....
. Stone also said he accepted his position in the Davis campaign before Paladino entered the race. Caputo has stated that he believes Davis will at least outdraw Conservative Party nominee Rick Lazio
Rick Lazio
Enrico Anthony "Rick" Lazio is a former U.S. Representative from the state of New York. Lazio became well known nationally when he ran against Hillary Rodham Clinton for the U.S. Senate in New York's 2000 Senate election...
.
Davis competed against Sam Sloan and Guilderland attorney Warren Redlich
Warren Redlich
Warren Redlich is a lawyer and politician from Guilderland, New York. In 2004 and 2006, Redlich ran for US Congress for the 21st District of New York State as a Republican. In 2005, he briefly served as the Political Director of the Libertarian Party of New York. He is currently a town councilman...
for the nomination of the Libertarian Party of New York
Libertarian Party of New York
The Libertarian Party of New York is a political party in the United States active in the state of New York. It is the recognized affiliate of the national Libertarian Party....
. However, she refused to appear at the party's convention on April 24, 2010, leading to her name being left off the ballot and Redlich easily winning the nomination. Those within the party are concerned that Davis will splinter the Libertarian Party vote by running on her self-created ballot line. Several names for the line, including "Surprise Party," "Citizens Party," "Marijuana Legalization Party," "Hookers and Pot Party," "Personal Freedom Party" and "Reform Party" were rejected by outside sources (Personal Freedom due to a conflict with Charles Barron
Charles Barron
Charles Barron is a Democratic politician who represents the 42nd District of New York City in the New York City Council...
's "Freedom Party
Freedom Party of New York
The Freedom Party of New York is a name given to two separate political parties that existed only in the state of New York. The first, created by allies of would-be Governor George Pataki, gained ballot access in the 1994 gubernatorial election under the name "Tax Cut Now Party," and gained the...
" despite Barron's much later entry into the gubernatorial race, and Reform Party due to a dispute with the national Reform Party), before settling on the name "Anti-Prohibition Party" in July 2010.
Davis has floated the name of Tucker Carlson
Tucker Carlson
Tucker Swanson McNear Carlson is an American political news correspondent and conservative commentator for the Fox News Channel...
as a potential lieutenant governor candidate, but Carlson apparently declined. Instead, Anti-Prohibition Party petitions had Linda Espejo listed as the lieutenant governor candidate, though at least one report suggests that Espejo has declined the nomination, requiring a replacement to be named by a committee. The party named Jewish-Russian-American lawyer and community organizer Tanya Gendelman as Espejo's replacement. Randy Credico
Randy Credico
Randy Credico , is an American political comedian and activist and the former Director of the . Once active on the comedy circuit, including an appearance on the Tonight Show at age 27, he began a seven year campaign against New York state's Rockefeller drug laws, which he thought were too harsh,...
, already running in the Democratic Party primary and cross-endorsed by the Libertarians, is the nominee for the Senate seat held by Chuck Schumer
United States Senate election in New York, 2010
The 2010 United States Senate election in New York took place as scheduled on November 2, 2010 along with elections to the United States Senate in other states as well as elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator...
. Vivia Morgan is the candidate for Kirsten Gillibrand's Senate seat
United States Senate special election in New York, 2010
The 2010 United States Senate special election in New York took place on November 2, 2010, concurrently with other elections to the United States Senate in other states as well as elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections...
. Davis endorsed Democrat Kathleen Rice
Kathleen Rice
Kathleen Maura Rice is the current Nassau County District Attorney. In November 2005, Rice defeated 31-year-incumbent Denis E. Dillon to become the first female district attorney of Nassau.-Early life and education:...
for attorney general, though Rice will not appear on the APP line. Jeffrey Graham, the mayor of Watertown, endorsed Davis, and despite declining an invitation to be the APP lieutenant governor nominee, he continued to campaign for Davis at his business and on his Web site.
Davis finished with 20,898 votes in the official vote tally, less than half the necessary votes to qualify as a political party. She finished in last place among those on the ballot. By comparison, Redlich finished with 46,091 votes in the same tally, more than double the total Davis drew; however, Caputo's prediction of beating Lazio came true, since Lazio only received 65 votes, all write-ins (as after failing to win the Republican nomination, Lazio dropped off the Reform Party nomination in favor of Paladino).
Davis has indicated that she will not return to politics. She had left open the possibility of running for any office that Spitzer sought, but Spitzer closed his campaign accounts in July 2011, making it extremely unlikely that Spitzer (or, by extension, Davis) will ever seek public office again.
External links
- ManhattanMadam.com
- Kristin Davis 2010 official campaign site