HS 264 - Confessions of a D.C. Madam with Henry Vinson

Henry Vinson was slapped with a 43-count RICO indictment and was dubbed by the Washington press as the 'D.C. Madam'. Henry served five years in prison and has recently released the book Confessions of a D.C. Madam – The Politics of Sex, Lies, and Blackmail. He tells Jason his story and reveals the politicians who used his gay escort services in the late 80s.    Key Takeaways: [1:45] Henry ran the largest gay escort service to have ever been exposed in Washington, D.C.  [4:40] Craig Spence bugged his own house to blackmail politicians with male escorts.  [7:00] In Henry's court case, he was represented by Greta Van Susteren. [9:45] The media simply doesn't report blackmail.  [11:30] Henry talks about Operation Mockingbird.  [14:45] Both Henry and Deborah Jeane Palfrey were dubbed the 'D.C. Madam' by media outlets.  [19:00] Craig Spence and other power brokers would consistently pressure Henry to offer child prostitution services. [24:30] Who was Henry's clients? Henry shares names. [27:40] What has Henry been up to since he's been out of prison?   [30:00] In Confessions of a D.C. Madam, the book shows the reader that blackmail plays a major role in American politics.    Mentioned In This Episode: http://www.henryvinson.com/   https://twitter.com/henryvinson