New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer's political career is on the brink of collapse since he's been accused of paying for a romp with a high-priced call girl.

Slideshow: N.Y. Press Reacts To Spitzer

New York television station WNBC reported that aides and Democratic colleagues expect Spitzer to resign following allegations that he patronized a prostitution ring.

The sources said they expect the New York governor to submit a resignation letter he already drafted.

The New York Times reported that the staff of Lt. Gov. David Paterson have begun laying the groundwork for him to take over as governor and are reaching out to members of the Legislature, the aides said.

Assemblyman James Tedisco, a Republican and the State Assembly minority leader, said he would begin moving to have Spitzer impeached if the governor did not step down within 48 hours. He told CNN Tuesday that he spoke to Paterson Monday afternoon.

At a news conference Monday, Spitzer -- with his wife at his side -- apologized to his family and the people of New York.

The New York Times reported that Spitzer's wife, Silda Wall Spitzer, said not to resign in haste, the paper said.

The 48-year-old father of three teenage girls said he "must now dedicate some time to regain the trust of my family."

"I have acted in a way that violates my obligations to my family and violates my -- or any -- sense of right and wrong," he said in a statement Monday. "I apologize to the public, whom I promised better."

He did not discuss his political future and ignored shouted questions about whether he would resign. And he gave no details of what he was apologizing for.

A Spitzer spokesman said that the governor has retained the Manhattan law firm of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind Wharton and Garrison, one of the nation's biggest firms.

Spitzer was caught on a federal wiretap arranging to meet in a Washington hotel room the night before Valentine's Day with a prostitute from a call-girl business known as the Emperors Club VIP.

Spitzer was not named in the complaint, but was referenced as "Client 9" according to law enforcement officials. The complaint indicated that he had used the prostitution service before, although it was not known how often.

The complain said that he met with the woman in Room 871 but does not identify the hotel. The New York Times said that Spitzer stayed at the Mayflower Hotel In Washington, D.C.

Room 871 at the Mayflower that evening was registered under the name George Fox, a friend and donor of Spitzer, the New York Times said. A law enforcement official told the newspaper that people running the prostitution ring knew Spitzer by the name of George Fox. Fox released a statement regarding his name being tied to the event.

Spitzer was the initial target of the investigation and was tracked using court-ordered wiretaps that appear to have recorded him arranging for a prostitute to meet him at a Washington hotel in mid-February, the official said.

The official spoke to The Associated Press condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the investigation.

The case started when banks noticed the frequent transfers from several accounts and filed suspicious activity reports with the Internal Revenue Service, the official said. The accounts were traced back to Spitzer, which led investigators to open an inquiry.

Attorney General Michael Mukasey was made aware of the investigation because it involved a high-ranking political official.

The governor has not been charged, and prosecutors would not comment on the case.

Clinton Declines Comment

Presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., is sidestepping questions about the sex scandal engulfing Spitzer, her home state governor and political ally. Campaigning in Pennsylvania Monday, she said she didn't have any comment on that.

She did say she's sending her "best wishes and thoughts" to the governor and his family.

Clinton and Spitzer have been friendly colleagues since the former first lady first ran for the Senate in New York in 2000. Her aides said Clinton deeply respected Spitzer's work during his two terms as state attorney general.

Spitzer was slow to endorse Clinton's White House bid and has not been among her more forceful surrogates. But he is one of her all-important superdelegates.

Clinton declined to say whether she believed Spitzer could survive the scandal, which drew immediate calls for him to resign.