MANHATTAN — Gov. David Paterson personally told two members of his staff to contact a woman accusing his close aide of domestic violence, sources told the New York Times.
Citing an unnamed source with "direct knowledge of the governor's actions," Paterson told his press secretary, Marissa Shorenstein, to call the woman accusing his aide, David Johnson, of domestic violence and ask her to "publicly describe the episode as nonviolent."
Paterson also asked another state employee, Deneane Browne, who knows both the governor and the accuser, to contact the woman before she was to appear in court last month seeking an order of protection against Johnson, the paper said. Brown arranged for the woman to speak to Paterson, according to the Times, on the eve of her court appearance. She didn't show up in court the next day.
The Times said its report showed "the first evidence that Mr. Paterson helped direct an effort to influence the accuser."
According to news reports, the woman has accused Johnson of choking her on Halloween night, throwing her against a mirror and preventing her from calling for help.
Paterson has denied knowledge of the incident. Last week he ended his election bid citing distractions caused by the scandal. Paterson has called on Attorney General Andrew Cuomo for an investigation of the incident.
