By Heather Grossmann
DNAinfo News Editor
MANHATTAN — The rumors of a resignation-inducing, sex-and-drug-filled New York Times exposé on Governor David Paterson were laid to rest on Wednesday when the paper published the long-awaited piece — and it turned out to be a profile of his driver, turned top aide.
David W. Johnson, 37, interned for Paterson when he was a state legislator in Harlem, climbed the ranks to become the governor’s driver and eventually became a close confidant and advisor to the governor, currently earning $132,000 a year.
But the New York Times reported that brushes with the law mar Johnson’s history. As a teenager, Johnson was arrested twice for drug felonies, and in the 1990s he was arrested on a misdemeanor assault charge.
The Times also unearthed some disturbing allegations that Johnson punched a girlfriend in 2001 outside the then state senator Paterson's Harlem office. The Governor has made domestic violence a key issue throughout his political career.
Paterson, who has spent the past several days defending himself about the rumored New York Times scoop — he even made an appearance on Larry King last week — was quick on the defense Wednesday, issuing a statement in the wee hours of the morning in support of his aide and confidant
"The New York Times has chosen to splash his youthful offenses across the pages of its newspaper — even though the courts of our State have ordered them to be sealed. Mistakes committed during one's youth are determined by law to be kept sealed for a reason — to give a young person a second chance at a productive life,” Paterson’s statement read.
"The more recent allegations reported on by the Times would be extremely troubling if true — but the conclusions reached by the Times report are not supported by the facts. There is no independent evidence presented that would substantiate any claims of violence committed by David Johnson against a woman, a fact underscored by the absence of a single judicial finding that any such incident ever took place."
The Times also said that “veteran aides to the governor” — who remained nameless — are worried about the growing influence Johnson has on Paterson, citing his lack of experience during a difficult time.
Paterson clearly disagrees, saying in his statement, “David Johnson's growth as a political professional has surprised even his greatest advocates, and I am proud that he has demonstrated what someone can accomplish when given a second chance.”
The publication of the much-talked about article comes at a good time for Paterson, who can now officially kick-off his campaign this weekend without the swirling rumors of an imminent bombshell story.
