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Eliot Spitzer leaves NYC

BY PATRICK FALBY | Special to Newsday

8:58 PM EDT, March 15, 2008

Soon-to-be-ex-Gov. Eliot Spitzer, with most of his family and pet dogs in tow, split town Saturday morning for his 160-acre spread in upstate Columbia County.

At 10 a.m., with the help of his state trooper security detail, Spitzer, his wife Silda Wall Spitzer, daughters Sarabeth, 15, Jenna, 13, and two family dogs climbed into a blue Chrysler Town and Country minivan outside the family's Upper East Side high-rise home and drove away.

The family traveled to Pine Plains, Spitzer's spokesman Errol Cockfield said. In 2006, Spitzer paid $4 million for the property there.

Earlier Saturday morning, the disgraced governor, wearing black sweatpants and a green hooded sweatshirt, stood in the lobby of the building on Fifth Avenue, near the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and waved goodbye to his eldest daughter, Elyssa, 18, who left in a Lexus sedan apparently driven by family friends.

And still earlier, just after 7 a.m., he had emerged, crossed the broad avenue and entered Central Park for a quick walk with one of the family dogs. Upon his return, he ignored questions from a reporter.

The sightings of Spitzer -- engulfed in a scandal over allegations about his use of high-priced prostitutes -- were the first since Wednesday, when he said he would resign effective Monday.

Lt. Gov. David Paterson will be sworn in Monday in Albany to finish out his term.

Staff writers Andrew Strickler and

Reid J. Epstein contributed to this story.