The sheriff of Wall Street has been unhorsed. After allegations linking him to prostitution, Eliot Spitzer has admitted wrongdoing that violated the trust of his family and the public. The New York governor built his career on holding others to high ethical standards: his position is now untenable.

Politicians can sometimes ride out involvement in a sex scandal, even in countries where personal morality and fitness for public office are readily elided. What is toxic is the charge of hypocrisy. While New York attorney-general, Mr Spitzer prosecuted prostitution rings and took the opportunity of an arrest in 2004 to express his disgust at such operations. In retrospect, his high moral tone merely intensified the backlash when he himself became embroiled in accusations relating to prostitutes.