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Prosecutor: Case against madam won’t hinge on sexual escapades
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WASHINGTON (Map, News) - Jurors in the D.C. Madam case will be subjected to disturbing sexual secrets of Washington’s working girls and their high-priced clients, but the case will not be about prostitution, a federal prosecutor said during opening arguments Monday.
Calling the witness stand “probably the hottest seat in D.C. this year,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine K. Connelly told the jurors the case against Deborah Jean Palfrey was about racketeering, money laundering and mail fraud, not sex.
High-profile D.C. clients on the witness lists include Sen. David Vitter, R-La., Randall Tobias, who stepped down as deputy secretary of state last summer after he admitted to using Palfrey’s business, and Harlan Ullman, the author of the “shock and awe” military doctrine used at the start of the war in Iraq in 2003.
Many of the witnesses will be reluctant to testify for fear of revealing their private lives, attorneys said.
Connelly opened the trial by reading a resignation letter from one of Palfrey’s workers who wrote she regrettably had to quit because she contracted a sexually transmitted disease. A dozen women will testify that they performed sex acts for $250 and mailed half the money in to Palfrey in California, Connelly said.
Regular clients tested new recruits to make sure they would perform sex acts and looked as good as they described themselves, she said. But defense attorney Preston Burton said his client ran an upscale legal escort business that offered “sexual fantasy,” paid taxes and prohibited the women from engaging in prostitution.
“This is not street prostitution,” Burton said. “These people are not meat.”
Palfrey took calls from clients and arranged appointments with the women. “She was like a taxi dispatcher,” Burton said. “What happened afterward was between the driver and the customer.”
He noted that only 10 percent of the 130 women that Palfrey hired will testify that they took money for sex.
smccabe@dcexaminer.com
Comments from Examiner Readers
7:54 AM MST on Wed., May. 21, 2008 re: "‘D.C. Madam’ notes say suicide was only way out"
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2:41 PM MST on Wed., May. 7, 2008
re: "One of Palfrey’s former employees died by her own hand"
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2:02 PM MST on Fri., May. 2, 2008
re: "Former escorts, clients detail liaisons in D.C. Madam case"
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1:00 PM MST on Fri., May. 2, 2008
re: "One of Palfrey’s former employees died by her own hand"
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5:01 AM MST on Fri., May. 2, 2008
re: "‘D.C. Madam’ allegedly dies by suicide in Fla."
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1:47 PM MST on Wed., Apr. 23, 2008
re: "Former escorts, clients detail liaisons in D.C. Madam case"
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10:41 AM MST on Fri., Apr. 11, 2008
re: "Naval officer faces dismissal after testifying in madam trial"
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9:16 AM MST on Thu., Apr. 10, 2008
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Brenda from England said:
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).
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Examiner Reader said:
Palfrey was a woman who made selfish choices til the end.She profited from a business which hurt innocent women(wives)and children via their louse husbands/fathers.How many wives have been devastated... caught STDs? How many children have been scared and confused by marital discord/divorce? Her note was remorseless and all about her..."I can't be incarcerated...I'll be in my late 50's...penniless...I was the victim of a public lynching..."I,I,I".She even hung herself on her mother's property:SELFISH! She chose illegal activity and devalued marriage that is why she was enroute to prison and "alone". The former escort who commented contradicts herself by stating that she hadn't been proud of that time in her life,but goes on to justify it because it is between consenting adults,she needed money etc.Some serious soul searching may be beneficial.She would probably never assault an unsuspecting mother and child.But in a sense,she has done just that.
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Examiner Reader said:
It's sad for anyone to end their life in such a manner. As for the so called western culture, sex outside of marriage is an abonination to God. Have you not heard that the wages of sin is death!
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Examiner Reader said:
She did what she thought was best at the day and time.
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reader said:
She didn't have a choice .
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Examiner Reader said:
I am one of Palfrey's former escorts. I did not testify in the hearings though. That period of my life is one I'm not proud of, but it got me through some pretty rough financial times. Personally I don't get why it's illegal. It was concentual and safe, and "Julia" (aka Deborah) took good care of us. I worked there 6 weeks and made well over $10,000. Paul Huang, mentioned in this article, was one of my most frequent clients. In fact he was one of two who knew my real name.
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Examiner Reader said:
She made a choice. Now she has defined herself.
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Examiner Reader said:
Sorry icant understand this western hypocrisy!If having sex is not outlawed then money mustnt be the question ?I know you cant concieve this either!What about single mothers and guy hords?Iassume the western values are decaying and you wont accept !!
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