DC Madam Scandal, Yawns and Wows

While some are ignoring the story, other congressional aides are all atwitter about tomorrow night's ABC News report on the D.C. Madam scandal. But they can relax. And, more importantly, so can their bosses.

Sounds like the "20/20" piece won't be as salacious or sensational as your inner Schadenfreude may have hoped for. Sources tell The Sleuth not a single elected official has been implicated in this case. At least not as of early this afternoon.

What may be more intriguing than who paid for sex is who provided the services, according to one ABC News source. We're told some of the women who worked for the alleged D.C. Madam, Jeane Palfrey, were regular gals holding down 9-to-5 jobs at prominent places of employment in the city. (Note to Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.): Get that equal-pay bill passed!)

BREAKING NEWS: Just as we were about to post this, ABC News reported that a legal secretary at the respected Washington, D.C., law firm Akin Gump has been suspended "after telling her bosses she secretly worked for, and at times helped run, the escort service allegedly run by Palfrey. Click here to read the story.

But again, no members of Congress will be implicated, we're told.

That will come as a big disappointment to the likes of one House Democratic aide who sent an email to The Sleuth this morning saying, "We're all waiting for 20/20 and, unfortunately, I have not heard any names bandied about from up here yet."

Senate aide David DiMartino is rolling his eyes and yawning over the story. "We haven't seen this much excitement on Capitol Hill since the Starr Report," he said dryly. For the record, he won't be watching the ABC report tomorrow night. "I'll be watching 'Barbie Fairytopia,'" he said. (Yes, with his two young daughters, who apparently can't get enough of the movie.)

Another House aide said he couldn't care less about the so-called scandal, considering the wild times Congress has seen over the past few years, from the page scandal to former Senate aide Jessica Cutler who provided sexual favors (for free and for pay) during working hours and then boasted about it on her blog. "The bar for D.C. sex scandals is higher than ever," the aide said. "A simple prostitution racket isn't titillating enough to grab people's attention anymore. You need pages or interns or cover-ups for people to really pay attention."

Perhaps these uninterested Hill staffers are the exception, not the rule. A senior House Democratic aide told us, "There will be a few folks up here with a draft resignation letter and a bottle of scotch on their desk when '20/20' is on tomorrow night."

By Mary Ann Akers | May 3, 2007; 2:15 PM ET
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wonder why the Dems in DC are sounding so casual about the ABC exposure? Pretending it will go away as if their members had nothing to do with it? like Teddy Kennedy's shallow swim, Barney Frank's hired "house Boy"? Typical. Little boys and girls with their fingers where they shouldn't be crying "I didn't do it". B S

Posted by: titallated | May 4, 2007 04:14 PM

Given that one Republican official -- Tobias -- already resigned over this last Friday, and given the Republican rap-sheet for chilmolesting and other sexual aberrations, in addition to their corruption and general moral rot, one can expect a whole slew of holier-than-thou Republicans, to be outed as frequenting prostitutes.

Posted by: | May 4, 2007 04:52 PM

Rather than specific names, I'm more interested in knowing if Ms. Palfrey's 'gals' were the women who attended the poker games hosted by two defense contractors at the Watergate Hotel, and later at the Hilton, which were presided over by Dusty Foggo. Supposedly the limosine service, owned by an ex-con, with healthy homeland security contracts was providing prostitutes for the gatherings. Just wondering if there is a connection.

Posted by: halesch | May 4, 2007 05:38 PM

Who knows------maybe someone will get an "Oscar" for their Oscar!

Posted by: Ken McGee | May 5, 2007 08:33 AM

Hey! Give them a brake! These are Republicans, those most Godly of all people! Just give them a chance to bring democracy to everyone and shut up! These people can tell God what to do. God has said o.k. to any adultry as long as it is done by Republicans. I've tried to find that in my Bible but I must be looking in the wrong place. By the way, I am a lifelong Republican.

Posted by: evelynjm | May 5, 2007 09:31 PM

Well it is high time to TAX this business...And It would employee more people..Since this business give a million to the computer business there are ....$$$$$ waiting
This business is as old as humans....Lets legaliz it. maybe it would pay for the others Human evel( WAR) ....

Posted by: melvin | May 6, 2007 10:41 AM

It would scare us to death if we woke up one day and found that our elected officials and/or their staffers weren't embroiled in some nafarious scandal and were suddenly all squeaky clean. It will mean we slept through the prophesized Rapture and the Second Coming...and democracy had been swept aside and replaced by a theocracy.

Posted by: John | May 6, 2007 08:25 PM

I dont think it would be fair to make Ms. Palrey national news front and center and impede her privacy, BUT this should be a reality check and wake up call to those who promote outrageous conservative values, and harbor private indecent lifestyles..If she ends up being prosecuted and serve any time at all, the names should be exposed!
The "Man" better protect himself and make this case go away fast!
I dont think they realize the can of worms they will open if this case continues..Thank You

Posted by: DCliterateBiPartist | May 7, 2007 04:40 AM

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