What We Know About the Woman Eliot Spitzer Met With in NY

Law enforcement has not confirmed the woman's name.

ByABC News
February 16, 2016, 1:38 PM

— -- A Russian woman met with former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer at a Manhattan hotel Saturday for "brief and amicable conversation" before she allegedly "dialed 911 and said she was having a breakdown,” according to Spitzer’s attorney. Assault allegations stemmed from the incident, which the woman later recanted, according to Spitzer's attorney and police.

After the New York Police Department said it was investigating assault allegations in which a victim identified Eliot Spitzer, the former governor's attorney Adam S. Kaufmann said in a statement Sunday that "there was no assault or criminal activity of any nature on the part of Mr. Spitzer" and that the woman, whom Kaufmann identified as Svetlana Travis of Russia, recanted her assault allegations.

Kaufmann said "there was no assault or criminal activity of any nature on the part of Mr. Spitzer.”

Law enforcement has not confirmed Travis’ name in connection with the incident. Phone numbers listed for a Svetlana Travis in the U.S. were not working.

A law enforcement official briefed on the case told ABC News the incident took place at the Plaza Hotel around 8 p.m. Saturday between Spitzer and a woman who had "some sort of romantic relationship [with Spitzer] for about two years."

She may have been breaking up with him and that "may have led to the spat," the official said.

According to Kaufmann, Travis had lived in California and stopped in New York before returning to her native Russia.

"At her request, Mr. Spitzer agreed to meet her at a room previously booked for her at the Plaza Hotel," Kaufmann said. "Mr. Spitzer met her in the room at mid-afternoon, and they had a brief and amicable conversation, and then Mr. Spitzer left."

Early Saturday evening, Travis asked Spitzer to return to the hotel and he did, said Kaufmann.

Spitzer then "saw her becoming highly emotional and was threatening self-harm," Kaufmann said. "She dialed 911 and said she was having a breakdown. She then called 911 again and sought to cancel her prior call to 911. She was distraught and Mr. Spitzer sought to keep her calm."

"There were no allegations to 911 or to the police – either in the 911 call or when they responded to the Plaza Hotel - of any assault or physical contact," said Kaufmann.

A law enforcement official said that the woman sustained no injuries of substance in the incident but cut her arm as she left and was treated at the hospital.

Law enforcement sources told ABC News Spitzer also went to the hospital.

Kaufmann said that Travis was taken for psychiatric evaluation and after she was discharged from the psychiatric facility, "she recanted the allegations of assault and refused to proceed to file charges."

A law enforcement official said that the woman identified Spitzer to police but then then "backed off" and decided not to press charges.

Kaufmann said Travis "was highly agitated, and feared that she would be kept for psychiatric treatment and consequently not be able to return to her family in Russia."

"Unsolicited, she has indicated that any allegations of assault were false," Kaufmann added.

Kaufmann said Travis has since returned to Russia. Law enforcement told ABC News the woman was expected to leave New York.

"Spitzer acted appropriately at all times during this incident,” Kaufmann said, adding that Spitzer "has been and intends to remain fully cooperative in the event there is any further inquiry by relevant authorities."

Spitzer, speaking via his spokeswoman Lisa Linden, responded that "The woman who initially made the allegation was not my girlfriend” and said he has a “deep affection” for his girlfriend. Linden said in an earlier statement that "there is no truth to the allegation."

Spitzer was New York's attorney general before being elected governor in 2006. In 2008, while he was married, Spitzer was forced to resign as governor after an investigation into a prostitution operation identified him as "Client 9," who had spent $15,000 on call girls.

Spitzer and his ex-wife divorced in 2014.

Investigators found he had spent no public funds on prostitutes and he faced no charges in the case.

ABC News' Josh Margolin contributed to this report.