A Look at the Emperor's Club

ELIOT MESS Spitzer (Photo: Getty Images) The NYT today reported that New York Governor Eliot Spitzer had personal ties to "a prostitution ring," and people were quick to assume it had something to do the with the sex pit with the regal moniker, Emperor's Club VIP. Spitzer, who may resign because of the scandal, is allegedly "Client 9" in court papers related to the investigation, and may have used the service as recently as February 13.

The website for Emperors Club VIP has been offline since the ring was busted, but an archived version of the site from mid-2007 showed a semi-classy main page that called the club "the most preferred international club for those accustomed to excellence," offering "a convenient variety of services" around the world. The Emperor's Club stated that it was "a positive force, intensely committed to serving our customers honestly." They had a goal to "make life more peaceful, balanced, beautiful and meaningful."

A look at the site as captured by the Internet Archive in 2004 was much more revealing.