More Dirt on Paterson's Role in Hushing Up Alleged Assault

AP/Bebeto Matthews

Governor David Paterson was intimately involved in an attempt to hush up a domestic violence incident involving one of his top aides, three anonymous sources tell the Times. According to their account, Paterson's interference in the alleged victim's legal action goes even further than what was previously alleged (that Paterson personally called the woman, Sherr-una Booker, and tasked two state workers with pressuring her to drop her legal action against the aide, David Johnson). Sources say that last month, on the eve of the Times's first of many damaging articles about Johnson, Paterson personally drafted a statement he hoped Booker would release to the media.

Paterson told his now-resigned press secretary Marissa Shorenstein "the key points that needed to be included in a brief statement that was sent to Booker," the Times reports. Most salient among those was Paterson's insistence that the couple's breakup had been acrimonious but not violent, and that the charges against Johnson had been dropped—which they were, one day after Paterson reached out to Booker on the phone and asked her if there was anything he could do to help (hint, hint).

Booker refused to play ball, however, and reportedly told a friend she would not participate in a "lie." According to her, Johnson burst into their bedroom on Halloween as she was getting dressed for a party with a friend. Enraged by her provocative costume, Johnson allegedly choked Booker, tore her clothes, and threw her into a mirrored dresser, then confiscated both woman's cell phones and fled. (The Gray Lady delicately calls this a "confrontation.")

Johnson immediately called his friend in charge of Paterson's State Police detail, while Booker somehow called 911—but before the NYPD even arrived, State Police major Charles Day had contacted her and pressured her to let it go. (Day claims he just wanted to make sure she was all right.)

In a written statement, Paterson's lawyer said, "Governor Paterson will answer all questions on all issues before Judge Kaye at the appropriate time. The governor has not done anything wrong, and he looks forward to the conclusion of Judge Kaye’s investigation. In the meantime, he will not comment on a piecemeal basis to incomplete and often factually inaccurate press reports." Neither Johnson nor the governor has testified yet in the investigation being conducted by Kaye, to whom Attorney General Andrew Cuomo turned over the case.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By John Del Signore in News on March 26, 2010 8:57 AM

Comments [rss]

cleanupnynow

What was David Paterson thinking in drafting the statement?

It is so hypocritical for David Paterson to make domestic violence a signature issue of his while hiring woman beaters as his two closest aides. No wonder the NOW and most woman advocates and organizations – his own appointed Kirsten Gillibrand, Nita Lowey among others - want David Paterson to RESIGN NOW.

David Paterson proved long ago that he could not govern. “The Democratic Conference: Organizational and Operational Structure Report” is an eyewitness account of Paterson’s DYSFUNCTIONAL governing nature.

http://www.politico.com/static/PPM110_demreportfinal.html

This report heavily criticized Paterson’s leadership as Senator Minority leader. His office was criticized for PATRONAGE, LACK OF LEADERSHIP, INDECISIVENESS and INFIGHTING, set against a backdrop of general CHAOS – in other words the office was a ZOO. Those interviewed in the report indicated that its chief of staff the disorganized Michael Jones-Bey had no management skills, and would get DRUNK with staff, often coming in the office with a HANGOVER, and should be fired.

Amazingly, for running such a DYSFUNCTIONAL CHAOTIC office, the disorganized Michael Jones-Bey was hand picked by David Paterson to head the Division of Minority & Women Owned Business Development at Empire State Development Corporation.

His staff and all his friends that he has placed in jobs need to be cleaned out...GET HIM AND THEM OUT NOW.

This UN-ELECTED GOV needs to go now, before more damage

is done and more of the wrong people profit from his office.

Cannibal

I read, "More Dirt on Paterson's Hole"

pal

whatever he did, the new york times is so lame. they just keep digging up whatever leftover dirt they can find because they are so hung up on paterson.

Gothampc

I suggest that we change our state's name from New York to South Rhode Island.

Paterson must be listening to Buddy Cianci's governing style. Who knew it was available as a "book on tape".

Jen Chung

Ha! But seriously, this is really crazy.

Gothampc

Ever hear of some of the stuff Buddy Cianci did? He several times sent police to beat up the boyfriend of his ex-wife (after they were divorced). He one time went after a guy with a firelog. There's a long list of funny stuff that he did that you would think would only be on a sitcom. Everytime Cianci did something, people in Rhode Island would say: "That's my Buddy."

gothamguy

Paterson needs to go away. He is a joke and can't even run a decent cover-up.

ides_of_march

The more Paterson stands up to Cuomo and Obama, the more I like him.

Paterson becoming governor was a fluke. He's not part of the democrat party master plan.

Spirit of 76

ides likes Paterson. Okay, that makes it official. Paterson is a dirtbag.

Splicer

I'm always confused about why politicians (or anyone) feels the need to get involved in covering up stuff for people rather than telling them to simply take a hike. If it's friendship then it's obvious that someone like Patterson is putting a little too much weight in the importance of maintaining a relationship with someone who doesn't deserve it.

Manitoba

You can never tell someone to take a hike when you're that high up in the political spectrum. By the time you get there, everyone has so much dirt on you, or you had to give hundreds of people an "IOU" for the future.

If Patterson were to tell anyone to take a hike, he knew they would throw him under the bus in the press... he basically painted himself into a corner. By the time he realized he needed to ditch some of his loser friends/colleagues, it was too late.

Unfortunately, Patterson has been the textbook example of lack of grace, incompetence, corruption and general Chicago-style politics. I also feel as if he has set this state back 5-10 years as well as high-profile minority politicians back at least 10 years. Truly sad. I would say he should be ashamed of himself, yet I doubt he cares what anyone thinks.