Before he was a TV host, Jerry Springer was a member of the Cincinnati City Council…that is, until a sex scandal forced him to resign. Police raided a "massage parlor" (actually, a brothel) and found, pinned to a wall, a check that a customer had once written to pay for services. The check had bounced so, as some businesses do, they'd posted it for all to see…and the check was from Mr. Jerry Springer.
Mr. Springer was roundly condemned and ridiculed, partly for patronizing a sex business but also for being dumb enough to pay with a check. I was reminded of that as I read today's latest chapter in the ongoing investigation of Florida representative Matt Gaetz…
Reporters…retrieved receipts of payments that Gaetz and Greenberg made via Cash App and Apple Cash to one of the women involved. This particular detail raised eyebrows on social media, mostly because it seems foolhardy for a high-profile politician to commit a crime using something as traceable as these two extremely popular payment apps.
Springer actually managed to overcome his scandal and resignation. His confessions were so humble and candid that he later got re-elected to the City Council and actually served as Mayor of Cincinnati for a while. Mr. Gaetz does not strike me as the kind of guy who could pull off a self-effacing, contrite mea culpa. But we'll see if he even has to.