Femicide and the DC Madam

We may never know why the federal government prosecuted DC Madam Deborah Jean Palfrey.

Prostitution is not a federal crime. Apparently it started out as a tax investigation. But it turned out that Miss Palfrey always paid her taxes. So then they got her on racketeering and money laundering charges—her independent contractors would use the US mail to send money orders.

But the big question is why. It is unlikely there was a vast conspiracy. Having spent more time than I would have liked in the criminal justice system, I know that a lot of the time investigations are started by some straight arrow investigators, and then no one can really stop it, and it takes on a life of its own.

If it gets politically sensitive, the response of the legal system is to minimize the damage –and that is done with a few sacrificial lambs, and keeping a lid on the nasty parts. And in this prosecution judges, prosecutors and the media seemed extraordinarily determined to keep a cap on the amount of information revealed—and then the lives of several women were sacrificed on the altar of justice.

Even though it is not unlikely that the investigation started when a couple of pious boy scouts at the Justice Department (and god knows there are enough of those in the current administration) stumbled on Miss Palfrey's escort service while looking into something like the shenanigans of Duke Cunningham, the timing is still curious.

The attack only began in earnest after Miss Palfrey had shut down her operation. She put her house on the market, closed the business, and transferred money to Germany where she planned to retire. Indeed she was in Germany when US postal inspectors, pretending to be home buyers, obtained entrance into her California home from a realtor. It is entirely possible some of the rich and powerful may have been concerned Miss Palfrey planned on supplementing her retirement income with a little blackmail.

We will probably never know. But what we do know is there were 10,000 male customers of Pamela Martin and Associates , and the only victims of the prosecution have been women.

Yesterday Deborah Jean Palfrey hung herself.

Last year, professor turned high price hooker, Brandy Britton was found hung the day before her trial was to start in Maryland.

A Navy commander and Naval Academy instructor was caught up in the investigation, and forced to cut a deal with Justice Department Attorneys to testify about the moonlighting she did for Pamela Martin and Associates.

While testifying Lt. Cmdr. Rebecca Dickinson had trouble keeping her composure, and the judge assured her that everything would be OK. But it won't be. She has already been put on leave from the military and her life is over.

Fifteen unlucky women were paraded before the jury to describe in graphic detail the period of time they were acting as prostitutes for Miss Palfrey's operation, as well as their sexual activities, menstruation cycles and more. These women, having long left this lifestyle, had their past revealed and vetted for their family, friends, employers and anyone else who might care.

A 63 year old retired PhD had to testify about how she made her clients cum. A mother of three, who had briefly worked for the escort service fifteen years ago, was asked similar questions.

The names of an additional hundred women, who had worked for the service, were put into the public record by federal prosecutors.

Senator David Vitter is the only high profile male customer to be outed. He did not testify and is not going to be prosecuted. The sanctimonious lawmaker continues to extol the importance of morality and family values.

I don't think Deborah Jean Palfrey was murdered--there was no need.

Her strategy was to bluff that she would expose all kinds of powerful people in the government and on K Street—hoping they would back off on the prosecution. She was naive. The courts, prosecutors and the media quite effectively prevented that from happening.

The records that matter are now in the hands of the Justice Department, and are never going to see the light of day. Without the records, the DC Madam was no threat to anyone.

Just the same we can be certain a number of men are breathing easier today.

And who cares that two women are dead.

Or that the lives of dozens more have been destroyed.

You see—the times they may be a changin'

But the patriarchy still always wins.