New York governor Eliot Spitzer apologizes to his family and the public, following a report in The New York Times newspaper that he was linked to a prostitution ring.

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (MARCH 10, 2008) (REUTERS) - Following a report that New York governor Eliot Spitzer was involved in a worldwide prostitution ring, the politician held a conference Monday (March 10) in Manhattan to apologize to his family and the public.

The New York Times reported he had been caught on a federal wiretap arranging to meet a high-priced prostitute at a Washington hotel last month.

Spitzer was one of the clients of the Emperors' Club VIP operation, which was smashed by FBI agents last week, the newspaper reported.

A man and three women have been arrested, accused of running the ring for at least the last three years, U.S. Attorney Michael Garcia said.

They charged up to $2,700 an hour for the services of its women and also had several London-based clients, the FBI said.

At a news conference in Spitzer's Manhattan office, his wife Silda was at his side when he said he wanted to address a "private matter".

"I've acted in a way that violates my obligations to my family and that violates my or any sense of right and wrong. I apologize first and most importantly to my family. I apologize to the public whom I promised better. I do not believe that politics in the long run is about individuals. It is about ideas, the public good and doing what is best for the state of New York. But I've disappointed and failed to live up to the standard I expected of myself. I must now dedicate some time to regain the trust of my family," said Spitzer.

He refused to take any questions and left shortly after reading a short statement.

Last week, four people were charged with conspiracy to violate federal prostitution laws.

Spitzer, 48, built his political reputation on rooting out corruption, including several headline-making battles with Wall Street while serving as attorney general. He entered the governor's office in 2006 with a historic share of the vote, vowing to continue his no-nonsense approach to fixing one of the nation's worst governments.

Time magazine named him "Crusader of the Year" when he was attorney general. But his stint as governor has been marred by several problems, including an unpopular plan to grant driver's licenses to illegal immigrants.

Spitzer had served two terms as attorney general where he pursued criminal and civil cases and cracked down on misconduct and conflicts of interests on Wall Street and in corporate America.

He had previously been a prosecutor in the Manhattan District Attorney's Office, handling organized crime and white-collar crime cases. In 2004, he was part of an investigation of an escort service in New York City that resulted in the arrest of 18 people on charges of promoting prostitution and related charges.