Consenting Adults

ABC News reports:

The woman charged in a federal indictment with running a high-class Washington, D.C. call girl service says she plans to call her prominent clients to testify at her trial....Also on Palfrey's list of customers who could be potential witnesses are a Bush administration economist, the head of a conservative think tank, a prominent CEO, several lobbyists and a handful of military officials.

I would be surprised if there were a real economist on the list: the conventional wisdom is that all the prostitutes leave town during the American Economic Association convention.

Many economists would, nonetheless, vote to legalize prostitution on general libertarian principles. But if it is to be ruled an illegal transaction, then it is hard to argue with this logic:

None of her male customers is named by the government. "That's very hypocritical," she says. "Why aren't these people under arrest? Why just me?"

Update: The Washington Post reports:

a man who told the escort service he was a White House economist turned out to have engaged in résumé inflation. He actually works across the street as an analyst for the Office of Thrift Supervision.