Tuesday, September 11, 2007
T-P previews press conference details
There's a number of interesting details in the
Times Picayune story about the upcoming press conference with Larry Flynt and Wendy Cortez about Senator Vitter:
Magazine publisher Larry Flynt paid for the [former prostitute] to take the polygraph test, and he plans to hold a news conference with her at his Beverly Hills office today to unveil the results and challenge the senator to submit to a polygraph.
The woman, Wendy Yow Ellis, claims that she had intercourse with Vitter in a French Quarter apartment at Dauphine and Dumaine streets in 1999, the year the Metairie Republican was elected to Congress.
...
[Edward] Gelb, the polygraph expert, asked Ellis whether she had a "sexual relationship" with Vitter through an outfit called the New Orleans Escort Service. He then asked if the relationship continued for at least four months. The polygraph showed there was "no deception intended" in her answers.
...
During a phone interview Monday, Ellis said she met regularly with Vitter in the French Quarter apartment and that he paid her through her pimp, Jonathan, whose last name she did not know. She said Vitter met her through the New Orleans Escort Service, not through the madam whose notorious Canal Street brothel was raided by federal agents in 2001.
Although that madam, Jeanette Maier, claimed in interviews that Vitter patronized her brothel and favored a prostitute named Wendy, Ellis said Monday that she has never met Maier.
"Never had, never will, don't care to," she said.
Ellis said she and Vitter had safe sex and that he did not have any unusual proclivities. She said he paid $300 an hour for her services.
"He was a very clean man," Ellis said. "He came in, took a shower, did his business and would leave."
...
After [Canal St. Madam Jeanette] Maier and Ellis each claimed Vitter as a client, the senator and his wife held a news conference in which Vitter apologized a second time for the Washington allegations but denied "those New Orleans stories." He did not specify which of the stories he was referring to and made a hasty exit without taking questions from reporters.
Wendy Ellis (aka Wendy Cortez) denies knowing the Canal Street Madam, and says that Vitty didn't have "unusual proclivities". This contradicts recent claims made by the Canal Street Madam, who
said that a Wendy Cortez (perhaps a different one) used to work for her, and that she had
trouble keeping diapers in stock at the Canal St. brothel in the early to mid 90's when Vitty was a client. Also, Wendy Cortez Ellis claims that, contrary to what her ex-boyfriend
told the
Times Picayune, there are no photos of her and Vitter together.
And what's the deal with "Jonathan" the pimp, who did all the business transactions with Vitty?
Labels: Canal Street Madam, Flynt, Vitty-cent, Wendy Cortez
10 Comments:
Strange timing for the press conference, but I'll take it! Vitter will have to take questions sooner or later.
Jonathan was a well-respected manager of an escort agency: neworleansescorts.com. The domain hasn't worked for years.
He did not show the actual women in his stable on his website, rather, he used "lookalikes", that didn't really look like them.
Last I heard, he had "retired" from the game, and moved to Orlando.
moved to Orlando, like Ruth Chris? hmmmmm....
This contradicts recent claims made by the Canal Street Madam, who said that a Wendy Cortez (perhaps a different one) used to work for her, and that she had trouble keeping diapers in stock at the Canal St. brothel in the early to mid 90's when Vitty was a client.
Really? Your only source on this was a vague comment from a friend that provided no context -- not even an entire sentence.
Moreover, just because Maier had trouble stocking diapers doesn't mean that it was due to Vitter. I'm betting Maier was talking generally about the fetishes of men at the brothel, and not Vitter in particular. Moreover, she had said repeatedly that Vitter had no weird fetishes. Consequently, there's simply no contradiction.
As I said, I'm pretty sure that Vitter used the brothel, which is bad enough. There's no need to spread these crass, completely unsubstantiated rumors about a diaper fetish. Come on.
"I'm betting Maier was talking generally about the fetishes of men at the brothel, and not Vitter in particular."
Maier's response at that forum was to a question about Vitter in particular, and I have other inside sources on the diaper fetish thing.
oyster,
Sure, but she could have been responding to the effect of "ha ha that was a common fetish, sure" but not necessarily Vitter's. I've read her reported quotes, and she says Vitter wasn't involved in anything weird. Unless there's a quote from her that directly contradicts that, I'm very skeptical.
I have no doubt you've heard about this elsewhere, but lots of bizarre rumors float around in political circles. The overwhelming majority aren't true, especially when they sound too good to be true.
"I have no doubt you've heard about this elsewhere, but lots of bizarre rumors float around in political circles. The overwhelming majority aren't true, especially when they sound too good to be true."
Wow, thanks for the tip, Owen! And here I was indiscriminately passing along every rumor that I heard. It never occurred to me to analyze the claims critically. I've discussed my source on this, and it's not someone running in "political circles".
oyster,
Fair enough.
Still, I remain highly skeptical of such rumors, particularly when, as in this case, you have two closely-placed persons denying it.
It also just sounds a bit too extreme, and so I demand pretty strong proof. I felt the same way about the whole Juanita Broderick fiasco.
If I were in your shoes I'd be pretty skeptical too, and would demand strong proof, as well.
Craziness...
Just like the city its self
