By Gabriela Resto-Montero and Heather Grossmann
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MANHATTAN — Gov. David Paterson was charged with an ethics violation by a state panel Wednesday for accepting free Yankees tickets to the opening game of the World Series last year.
The governor went to the game with his aide David Johnson, who embroiled Paterson in a domestic violence scandal that could end his political career. Paterson's son, his son's friend and another staffer also accompanied him to the game.
The state Commission on Public Integrity said Paterson violated ethics rules that ban public officials from receiving lobbyist gifts when he solicited and received free tickets to the game.
The commission also found that Paterson lied under oath about the gift. He told them that he meant to pay for the tickets and he even backdated a check to try and cover up his tracks, members of the commission said.
"There is reasonable cause to believe that the Governor falsely testified under oath," the Commission's report read.
"Governor Paterson maintains his innocence and intends to challenge the findings of the Commission both with respect to the law and the facts," a press person for Paterson said in an e-mailed statement.
"The Governor takes this matter very seriously and intends to fully cooperate with any further inquiries or investigations, but believes the Commission has acted unfairly in this matter."
Paterson may face criminal charges and fines of $40,000 for violating the gift ban and another $10,000 for breaking the code of ethics preventing the governor from using his position to obtain privileges.
The commission has asked Attorney General Andrew Cuomo and the Albany DA’s office to investigate. Cuomo's office is also investigating Paterson's involvement in Johnson's domestic abuse case.
