By Brendan McLaughlin

If you can judge a society by how it treats its wrongdoers, Americans are a baffling and somewhat kinky people.  Consider the fates of Former New York Governor Elliott Spitzer and Fox 13 General Manager, Robert Linger. While "Client # 9" has essentially admitted to extracurricular sexual activity, Mr. Linger should be presumed innocent of his alleged misconduct  at Fantasyland Adult Video store over the weekend. And yet, both these men have suffered career crushing injuries without ever being convicted of a crime.

Aside from the family members who've suffered acute mortification from these entanglements, who exactly are the victims?   Spitzer's paid paramour, 22 year old, Ashley Dupre is well past the age of consent and the fellows who formed their lusty circle in front of the big screen at Fantasyland acted of their own volition (though I hope the undercover officer in the middle got hazard pay). And while nastiness; and violations of the law ensued, nobody got hurt, swindled or robbed.

Compare those scenarios with the truly disturbing allegations made against Hillsborough County Commissioner, Kevin White. 23 year old Alyssa Ogden filed a complaint last year claiming the commissioner made aggressive sexual come-ons just days after she was hired as his aide. Now she is suing the County.  The facts aren't all  in yet and Mr. White has denied any impropriety. But to see this young woman tearfully describe how an incredibly exciting job opportunity turned into humiliation and betrayal is wrenching. Maybe it's because I'm the father of recent college graduate and can envision personally emasculating someone who would abuse my daughter on her first big job, but I think the truth needs to come out in this case and the guilty need to be punished hard.

Commissioner Kevin White has not been charged with any crime, but the allegations, if true, represent a real injustice with a real victim.  Spitzer and Linger are sitting home these days. White is still on the job.