Former Gov. Eliot Spitzer used an alias at a Manhattan hospital while checking in on the escort he was accused of choking hours before in February of 2016.
Spitzer, 62, also named dropped then-Police Commissioner Bill Bratton to cops who were investigating the Plaza Hotel incident and claimed that blood found in the hotel room after Svetlana Travis-Zakharova slit her wrist was from her menstrual cycle, according to investigative documents that lawyers for The Post fought to have unsealed.
In the aftermath of the violent encounter, the then 25-year-old woman threatened she would “make it worse than 2008,” for Spitzer, when he resigned as governor after it was revealed he was patronizing another prostitute, according to a lengthy text message exchange between the disgraced Democrat and the purported former $5,000-a-night hooker.
The newly unearthed documents revealed new details on the incident that led Travis-Zakharova to accuse Spitzer of assault, a charge she later recanted. Spitzer claimed she was attempting to extort him.
On the afternoon of Feb. 13 2016, Spitzer met Travis-Zakharova “for a drink” in her $1,000-a night Plaza Hotel suite, according to a March 15, 2016 preliminary investigation worksheet filed by Sergeant Michael Giuffre.
The then-25-year-old told Spitzer she was flying back to Russia the next day and would live there permanently. Spitzer left the Midtown hotel an hour later, but called her 30 times over the next three hours, “threatening her and attempting to prevent her from returning to Russia,” the sergeant wrote.
At 7 p.m. he returned to her room, “grabbed her by her wrists and threw her back on the bed. While standing over her, the perpetrator placed his [sic] onto her neck/throat and put pressure causing her not to be able to breathe for at least three (3) seconds,” the report said.
The Russian national then told police that in an effort to get out of the room and to “scare” Spitzer, she took a wine glass, broke it and lightly cut herself on her wrist.
Shortly after 8 p.m., a 911 call was placed and the victim was taken to a hospital, according to the report.
“She is on her period. I just came to help,” Spitzer initially told detectives who saw blood on the wall and door.
“Thanks for coming. She is fine now. We don’t need you anymore,” he said, adding “Do I need to call Bill?,” a reference to the NYPD’s top cop, according to sources.
At 11 p.m. he went to an undisclosed hospital wearing all black and a hat and identified himself as George, security footage reviewed by detectives showed. Two hours later he called the hospital to ask about Travis-Zakharova, using the same fake name.
“George Fox” was the name of a friend that Spitzer used while frequenting prostitutes in 2008, The Post reported. At the time, Spitzer apologized to the man for using the pseudonym.
An unsealed text message chain in the aftermath off the incident between Spitzer and Travis-Zakharova showed that tensions remained high between the two, as the woman said she was at the police station and was prepared to disclose the nature of their relationship.
“I make sure your daughters and everyone you are dealing with know who you are,” Travis-Zakharova texted to Spitzer, whose number was saved in her phone as “Elliot My Love,” screenshots showed..
“Can we discuss this like we have in the past?,” Spitzer replied.
“It’s going to be much worse than 2008
“AHAHAHAHAHAH let’s discuss how you will kill my mother and my dog? How about that,” Travis-Zakharova said.
Why are u doing this? Let’s talk – we had things worked out so nicely,” Spitzer pleaded.
“You can buy any lawyer and f–king thing I’m not your friend anymore you messed every little thing, you just want me to die, it would be better if I died in California, yes? You wouldn’t have to deal with this now,” she said.
“Have now idea what U mean – I have been taking good care of U and I am going to continue – why disturb this?,” the ex-governor asked the woman, who he had been seeing for years.
Travis-Zakharova, who once released audio messages she claimed were of Spitzer threatening her, and claimed he paid her to “insert sex toys into his anal cavity and walk him around the floor on all fours with a leash,” later signed a confidential settlement agreement with the “Luv Gov.”
In the July 2016 document, viewed by The Post, Travis-Zakharova agreed not to contact Spitzer and remain tight lipped about the case, or else she would pay him $100,000 — an amount “reflecting in part both damages Mr. Spitzer has suffered and funds he has previously paid to her.” In return, Spitzer agreed to drop his extortion lawsuit against her.
Travis-Zakharova, who now lives in Russia, pleaded guilty to attempted petit larceny Manhattan Supreme Court in Oct. 2017 after she tried to rob a man who co-signed her lease on a Manhattan apartment. She served a short jail sentence.
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