Gov. Paterson in hot water over abuse cover up

[jimmy olsen]

Seriously, does becoming Governor of New York make you retarded?

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/25/nyregion/25paterson.html?hp

Questions of Influence in Abuse Case of Paterson Aide
By WILLIAM K. RASHBAUM, DANNY HAKIM, DAVID KOCIENIEWSKI and SERGE F. KOVALESKI

Published: February 24, 2010

Last fall, a woman went to court in the Bronx to testify that she had been violently assaulted by a top aide to Gov. David A. Paterson, and to seek a protective order against the man.

In the ensuing months, she returned to court twice to press her case, complaining that the State Police had been harassing her to drop it. The State Police, which had no jurisdiction in the matter, confirmed that the woman was visited by a member of the governor's personal security detail.

Then, just before she was due to return to court to seek a final protective order, the woman got a phone call from the governor, according to her lawyer. She failed to appear for her next hearing on Feb. 8, and as a result her case was dismissed.

Many details of the governor's role in this episode are unclear, but the accounts presented in court and police records and interviews with the woman's lawyer and others portray a brutal encounter, a frightened woman and an effort to make a potential political embarrassment go away.

The case involved David W. Johnson, 37, who had risen from working as Mr. Paterson's driver and scheduler to serving in the most senior ranks of the administration, but who also had a history of altercations with women.

On Wednesday night, in response to inquiries from The New York Times, Mr. Paterson said in a statement that he would request that Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo investigate his administration's handling of the matter. The governor said he would suspend Mr. Johnson without pay.

Through a spokesman, Mr. Paterson said the call actually took place the day before the scheduled court hearing and maintained that the woman had initiated it. He declined to answer further questions about his role in the matter.

The woman's lawyer, Lawrence B. Saftler, said that the conversation lasted about a minute and that the governor asked how she was doing and if there was anything he could do for her. "If you need me," he said, according to Mr. Saftler, "I'm here for you."

Mr. Saftler said the governor never mentioned the court case, but he would not say if the call had influenced her decision not to return to court.

The call also came as The Times was examining the background of Mr. Johnson, whose increasing influence with the governor had disturbed some current and former senior aides to Mr. Paterson.

The woman's lawyer asked that she not be identified by name because she feared retaliation, in part because she works at a public hospital.

The alleged assault happened shortly before 8 p.m. on Halloween in the apartment she had shared with Mr. Johnson and her 13-year-old son for about four years, according to police records.

She told the police that Mr. Johnson, who is 6-foot-7, had choked her, stripped her of much of her clothing, smashed her against a mirrored dresser and taken two telephones from her to prevent her from calling for help, according to police records.

The woman was twice granted a temporary order of protection against Mr. Johnson, according to the proceedings in Family Court in the Bronx.

"I'm scared he's going to come back," she said, according to the proceedings, in which a court referee at the initial hearing noted bruises on the woman's arm.

"I'm glad you're doing this," the woman told the referee, "because I thought it was going to be swept under the table because he's like a government official, and I have problems even calling the police because the state troopers kept calling me and harassing me to drop the charges, and I wouldn't."

She added, "I've never been through this before."

Two days later, the woman was back in Family Court, and the order of protection was kept in place. And she again asserted that she had been pressured by the State Police.

"The State Police contacted me because they didn't want me to get an order of protection or press charges or anything," she told the court.

The State Police superintendent, Harry J. Corbitt, said he was told of the episode within 24 hours after it occurred. He confirmed that a state police officer had met with the woman, even though the episode occurred in the jurisdiction of the New York Police Department. He said the visit was made only to tell the woman of her options, including seeking counseling.

"We never pressured her, at least what I was advised; we never pressured her not to press charges," said Mr. Corbitt, whom the governor appointed. "We just gave her options."

He said that such an inquiry was customary for the department if an episode involved a high-profile person, and that it was done in the 24 hours afterward.

"It's typical if it involves anything that might involve a media event; it doesn't have to be a senior official to the governor," Mr. Corbitt said. "It could be a politician or a high-profile physician, anything that might pique interest in the press, because it's a special circumstance."

The State Police perform a variety of functions, including patrolling the highways, counterterrorism, and narcotics and homicide investigations, but they do not have primary jurisdiction in New York City. The department also has a detail, or team, of about 200 officers who provide personal security for the governor and his family and officials traveling with them. These detail officers would have interacted frequently with Mr. Johnson.

It was a member of that detail who visited the woman. Mr. Corbitt, asked again if the woman had been pressured, said: "I'm not sure of her emotional state; I don't know her. It just doesn't make sense to me that we would do that."

But Mr. Corbitt did allow that casual conversations may have occurred between the State Police and the woman that went further. "I'm sure that the person who spoke to her officially didn't do that, and I can't address any unofficial conversations because I have no way to," he said. "If she had a conversation over coffee, perhaps somebody would have had that conversation, but if so I'm not aware of it."

In his statement on Wednesday, Mr. Paterson said: "Serious questions have been raised about contact the State Police may have had with a private citizen who filed a complaint against a member of my staff. Any allegation of improper influence must be investigated thoroughly and completely.

"Superintendent Harry Corbitt has directed the State Police to conduct an internal investigation into this matter. I have full faith and trust in the integrity and ability of the State Police to conduct a thorough investigation.

"Because of the seriousness of these allegations, and the sensitive role of this staff member in my administration, I am asking the attorney general to investigate the matter to ensure in the public's mind that a comprehensive and independent inquiry has been conducted. Pending the outcome of the investigation, I am suspending David Johnson without pay."

Orders of protection are not considered in effect until they have been served on the person accused of the offense. The records in the case make clear that the woman, over the course of weeks, had become frustrated in her efforts to have Mr. Johnson served.

On Nov. 4, Judge Andrea Masley of Family Court asked the woman if she had served Mr. Johnson.

"No, ma'am, he refused to," she said. "He avoided it."

At a hearing on Dec. 17, the judge asked a lawyer for Mr. Johnson, William J. Madonna, if he would accept service of the protective order on behalf of his client. He refused. Mr. Madonna did not return several calls seeking comment.

The judge asked the woman if she wanted to proceed. "Yes, I do," the woman said.

The judge then ordered that a new summons be issued and set the next court date for Feb. 8.

The records of that proceeding are brief. Mr. Madonna was present, but not Mr. Johnson. And the woman was not present.

"We were never served," Mr. Madonna said, apparently referring to the court papers.

"The case is dismissed without prejudice," Judge Masley said.

Mr. Johnson has had three known altercations with women, according to interviews with the women and the governor. Two of them involved the police, and one required the intervention of Mr. Paterson's chief of staff at the time.

Last week, Mr. Paterson said there had never been a judicial finding that Mr. Johnson had been violent with women, and he characterized the Oct. 31 episode as a "bad breakup." A spokesman for Mr. Paterson said last week that the governor had looked into the episode and that the complaint "had been withdrawn."

The woman's statement to the police, however, is a graphic account of a violent and menacing encounter in the apartment she shared with Mr. Johnson and her son.

According to the woman's account, Mr. Johnson confronted her in their bedroom, choked her, tore her Halloween costume off, pushed her into the dresser and then continued to choke her with one hand.

In her account, she screamed for Mr. Johnson to stop and then screamed for the help of a friend who was visiting. The woman said Mr. Johnson first took one telephone from her to prevent her from calling the police, and then chased her into another room when she went to find a second phone.

Mr. Johnson then turned to the woman's friend and told her to leave, "if you know what's good for you," according to the woman's account.

Mr. Johnson was gone by the time the police arrived. The responding officers wrote up the encounter as second-degree harassment, a misdemeanor, and thus it was not referred to detectives for investigation.

A reporter for The Times visited the woman's Bronx apartment on Feb. 6. She was not home, but the reporter had a brief telephone interview with her. At that time, she confirmed that the episode had occurred, but provided no details, and said she had not seen Mr. Johnson since Oct. 31.

Mr. Paterson, at a meeting with the editorial board of The Times on Feb. 8, said he was angry that a reporter had gone to the home of what he described as "an ex-girlfriend" of an aide. He suggested that the reporter's real purpose had been to dig up damaging information about him.

The governor said he had met the woman only three or four times.

Mr. Paterson, who has championed the cause of battered women, then made extended remarks on the case of Hiram Monserrate, the former state senator who was convicted of misdemeanor assault against his companion and ousted from the Legislature. Mr. Paterson said he was offended that while the woman had been granted an order of protection against Mr. Monserrate, the senator's aides had continued to have contact with her and assist her.

"The order of protection is designed to allow for independence of the victim," he said. "This victim apparently had no independence."

He said the conduct of the aides warranted a criminal investigation, perhaps for witness intimidation.

"There have got to be some issues or some questioning of this woman not on the witness stand about how she was handled," the governor said. "Because that's the whole essence of what domestic violence is. It's control."

One of Mr. Paterson's earliest steps after becoming governor in March 2008 was insisting that the State Police end any meddling in political matters.

Mr. Paterson called on Mr. Cuomo to investigate the State Police, saying he believed there was a unit within the agency collecting information on public figures. He said such concerns led him to admit publicly, on his first full day in office, to having had extramarital affairs.

Mr. Cuomo's report, issued in September 2009, did not find a rogue political unit per se but did find evidence of political interference by senior police officials, including an episode in which a police superintendent ordered changes to a domestic violence report involving a Republican congressman, John E. Sweeney, to make it less damaging. Mr. Paterson and his superintendent, Mr. Corbitt, had pledged to overhaul the agency.

[The Brain]

Mr. Madonna? They mean that Jesus guy?

[jimmy olsen]

Hmm...State Police Chief just resigned. Interesting development, and quick too.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ilT96wHGueYhEMzqYN6lUPxZgnJAD9E6TNFG0

NY state police chief abruptly retires in scandal

By MICHAEL GORMLEY and VALERIE BAUMAN (AP) – 41 minutes ago

ALBANY, N.Y. — An unfolding scandal threatening Gov. David Paterson and his administration claimed its second public safety official Tuesday when the head of the New York State Police said he was retiring, partly because of intense media scrutiny.

And late Tuesday night, The New York Times reported that Paterson told a state employee in February to contact a woman at the heart of the scandal who had accused a Paterson aide of domestic violence to "make this go away." Soon after, the woman dropped her case against the aide. The newspaper attributed the executive branch worker's recollection of the governor's request to a person with knowledge of the state worker's testimony to investigators in the attorney general's office.

A Paterson spokesman denied Tuesday night that the governor ever told the worker to "make this go away."

The head of the state police, Superintendent Harry Corbitt, had acknowledged in February that a state police official had contact with the woman who accused the aide of assaulting her on Halloween in New York City's Bronx borough. Soon after, the woman dropped the domestic violence complaint against the aide, David Johnson.

On Tuesday in a TV interview, Corbitt talked about the pressures of being involved in the story and why he was leaving office — a course some critics are also urging the Democratic governor to take.

"Any individual who is criticized constantly feels that pain," Corbitt told the cable station Capital News 9. "And in most cases there is some way to fight back. But in public service there is not. I'm not an elected official; I'm a public servant, I'm a cop. And a good cop. So to continue to face that pressure, and even pressure from my family, the media showing up in my driveway — that's unacceptable. So for my own health and for my own sanity it's the right thing to do."

Corbitt's boss, Deputy Secretary for Public Safety Denise O'Donnell, resigned a week ago, saying direct contact by the governor and troopers with the woman was "unacceptable" regardless of their intent. She said that at the time, Corbitt had assured her that state police were not involved in the investigation.

Paterson, who has denied wrongdoing, earlier had hinted that he would soon tell his side of the story in the scandal but refused to comment on whether he had asked Corbitt to step down.

"I think that we'll move forward now and we will look to see who will be the best person to lead the state police," Paterson told reporters. "I think he worked very hard and he was helpful at this period."

Sherruna Booker told police she was roughed up on Halloween by Johnson, her boyfriend at the time, but she decided not to press charges. At issue is whether Paterson or anyone from his staff or state police security detail influenced her decision.

Paterson has acknowledged that he spoke with Booker but said she initiated the call and that he did not try to get her to change her story or not pursue a charge. Paterson's administration has not made Johnson available to comment or answer questions.

The New York Times on Tuesday provided new details on Paterson's involvement in the matter, reporting that the governor had personally directed two state employees to contact the woman.

Attorney General Andrew Cuomo — often mentioned as a potential gubernatorial candidate by the very critics who dogged Paterson last week into abandoning his campaign for a full term — is investigating those contacts. Any criminal case will hinge on whether Paterson, staff members or members of his state police security detail tried to get Booker to change her story, making charges of witness tampering or obstructing justice possible.

The departure of Corbitt, who had already retired once but returned to service at Paterson's request, came on a day when the Times report gave Paterson his most damaging press yet. The National Organization for Women, long a Paterson ally, called for his resignation even as he got some rare support by lawmakers.

State Democratic Chairman Jay Jacobs drove from Long Island to meet in the governor's mansion with Paterson and later said Paterson's account of his contact with the woman, along with the state police and staff members, "explains an awful lot." He declined to divulge details.

"I did not get the sense that the governor is considering resignation, that resignation is pending," said Jacobs, a longtime friend of Paterson who owes his job to the governor. "There shouldn't be any more shoes to drop. The sense I got from him is there won't be."

Paterson left a closed-door meeting with staff and said only that he doesn't plan to quit and didn't even feel pressure to resign, despite widespread speculation in the Capitol. A driver passing by the mansion honked and shouted to reporters, "Get him out of there!"

Minutes before Jacobs spoke, powerful Democratic Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver left a lunch meeting with Paterson at the mansion and told reporters: "I don't feel he should resign."

The Times report outraged NOW's state chapter, which called for Paterson's resignation despite his "excellent" policy record on women's issues.

"It is inappropriate for the governor to have any contact or to direct anyone to contact an alleged victim of violence," chapter president Marcia Pappas said.

Even Democratic U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, whom Paterson appointed to the seat last year, said Tuesday that he would have to resign if allegations that he abused his power are proven true.

But five Latino legislators, all Democrats, met with Paterson about budget appropriations and the needs of their communities, then approached reporters waiting outside the mansion to voice support.

"No one has criticized the governor more than I have," said Sen. Ruben Diaz, of the Bronx. "Right now, we are supporting the governor to stay until the investigation is resolved."

Paterson said he would soon speak publicly. Some leading Democrats have said he should resign to avoid further damage to the party in the 2010 elections.

Arriving at an Irish American fundraiser in Manhattan, Cuomo did not say whether he thought the governor should resign. He said he hadn't spoken to Paterson yet but that the governor's office had cooperated.

"We will do the investigation as fast as we can, as fast as practical," Cuomo said. "We also want to do it right, we want to be thorough, we want to be fair, and we want to have all the facts."

Corbitt succeeded acting Superintendent Preston Felton, who was part of another scandal known as Troopergate. The administration of then-Gov. Eliot Spitzer was accused of using state troopers for surveillance of the governor's political enemies.

In November, the state Public Integrity Commission found that Felton ordered state police to create official-looking documents about a political foe's use of state aircraft. He was accused of producing the material at the request of one of Spitzer's aides, who then gave the documents to a reporter. Felton faced no penalty.

Spitzer later resigned amid a prostitution scandal, and Paterson, who was his lieutenant, ascended to governor.

Associated Press writer Cristian Salazar in New York contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

[CountDeMoney]

Hmm...State Police Chief just resigned. Interesting development, and quick too.

Obviously Paterson saw this coming.

[Caliga]

Doubtful.  Dude can't see shit. 

[Admiral Yi]

He's groping in the dark.

[KRonn]

Real dumb assed all around by the Gov, his handlers and his security types including the State Police. What were those fools thinking?

[DGuller]

On a related note, this scandal was uncovered by New York Times.  I wonder what would happen when newspapers bite the dust.  Would CNN or Fox News have real journalists to uncover such abuse of power?  Yeah, right.  Would blogs have the resources and expertise to do likewise?  Almost as doubtful.

[KRonn]

On a related note, this scandal was uncovered by New York Times.  I wonder what would happen when newspapers bite the dust.  Would CNN or Fox News have real journalists to uncover such abuse of power?  Yeah, right.  Would blogs have the resources and expertise to do likewise?  Almost as doubtful.

I wonder the same thing. Seems local news reporting finds a lot of government/political issues, scandals, problems, etc. The Boston Globe, which was in big financial trouble (still is but not as bad), and the Boston Herald, both report on lots of local state/city government issues that I don't see how other media sources would be doing.

[Razgovory]

On a related note, this scandal was uncovered by New York Times.  I wonder what would happen when newspapers bite the dust.  Would CNN or Fox News have real journalists to uncover such abuse of power?  Yeah, right.  Would blogs have the resources and expertise to do likewise?  Almost as doubtful.

It's why crooked politicians rail against the "Mainstream media".

[jimmy olsen]

More bad news for the Governor.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35691081

The New York State Commission on Public Integrity this afternoon charged the embattled governor with violating the state's ethics laws gift ban when he secured free tickets to the first game of the 2009 World Series from the Yankees.

Read the notice on the charges(.pdf).

The Commission says Paterson may also have given false testimony in the case now being turned over to the Albany County District Attorney's office for possible criminal prosecution.

[Syt]

He's groping in the dark.

The affair was probably an eye opener, though.

[Jaron]

WHY would he need sports tickets? Just listen to the shit on the radio.

[Admiral Yi]

WHY would he need sports tickets? Just listen to the shit on the radio.

  Good point.

[Caliga]

WHY would he need sports tickets? Just listen to the shit on the radio.

He's blind AND dumb.