Eliot Spitzer: Former New York Governor accused of assaulting a woman at the Plaza hotel

Eliot Spitzer's spokeswoman has denied the allegations

Mr Spitzer left his governorship amid a scandal in 2008 involving sex workers

The former Governor of New York has been accused of assaulting a woman in a hotel room at the Plaza.

The woman, who has not been identified, claimed she and former Governor Eliot Spitzer got into a verbal dispute which turned physical.

Lisa Linden, Mr Spitzer’s spokeswoman, said there was no truth to the allegation.

The New York Post reported that the 25-year-old woman was choked by the ex-Governor but the police did not specify the nature of the alleged assault.

The New York Police Department said in a statement that they are investigating the allegations, and that the alleged victim has identified the subject as Mr Spitzer. The police are still trying to establish the nature of the incident and who was involved.

Police went to the hotel on Saturday after receiving a call about an “emotionally disturbed” person. The alleged victim went to hospital, as reported by CNN, with self-inflicted cuts on her wrists.

Mr Spitzer resigned from his governorship amid a prostitution scandal in 2008.

He co-hosted a political talk show before staging a failed comeback bid for city comptroller - the chief auditing officer - in 2013.

In December the New York Post reported Mr Spitzer split from his wife and started a relationship with New York Mayor Bill de Blasio’s former spokeswoman Lis Smith.