Insiders say that Paterson via his press secretary, Marissa Shorenstein, and a common friend between the governor and the accuser, Deneane Brown, an employee of the Division of Housing and Community Renewal, pressured Sherr-una Booker to end her criminal complaint against Johnson. The State Police also have a role in this fiasco:
To date, the administration has conceded that the State Police contacted the woman in the hours and days after Oct. 31, and she has complained under oath in family court that they harassed and pressured her not to pursue charges.
But the governor's knowledge about the alleged assault and personal involvement in the administration's handling of it remain murky.
As it is, he's barely visible around the Capitol building in Albany despite this being crunch time for putting together the state budget (which stands billions of dollars in the red).
The "Hall of Governors" corridor outside of Paterson's office at the Capitol was eerily quiet for the start of a state government work week.Reports have previously indicated that he's more interested in the trappings of power than he is in actually doing his job.
By early evening, Paterson hadn't left the 39-room protected compound, despite what had been expected to be a full day of serious negotiations with state lawmakers on how to close a looming $9 billion state budget deficit for the fiscal year beginning April 1.
"Where's the governor? Why isn't he here working?" a senior Assembly Democrat asked.
"Is he writing his resignation speech?"
Aides refused to say what the governor was doing in the mansion.
State Democrats have to be wondering when the other shoe will drop regarding Paterson's actions, and Andrew Cuomo's investigations into Paterson's office will not conclude fast enough to get Paterson out of the way before more damage is done to the state's financial picture. Paterson has essentially frozen his lieutenant governor, Richard Ravitch, out of the picture despite Ravitch's knowledge and understanding of the state's fiscal problems and how to close massive deficits. Ravitch, for his part, is trying to distance himself from the governor.
The National Organization of Women's New York chapter is demanding his resignation. Yet, there are some who think that the calls for Paterson's resignation are racially motivated. Are you kidding me? Abuse of power? Conspiring to thwart a criminal investigation? This is an incompetent politician and political leader of the state of New York - and his racial background has nothing to do with the need for Paterson to resign. He's doing serious damage to the state by continuing to hang on during the budget season (and by being a no-show at the same time). It's a needless distraction and eliminates the last remaining political capital the governor has in negotiating a budget with the legislature.
UPDATE:
NYS Police Superintendent Harry J. Corbitt is "retiring".
State Police Superintendent Harry J. Corbitt will step down from his post tomorrow, sources told The Post tonight.This is an easy way out for Corbitt and likely allows him to collect his pension.
The move comes a day after Corbitt was grilled by state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, who is looking into the role Gov. Paterson's administration might have played in getting a woman to back off of domestic abuse charges against top aide.
Corbitt was hand picked by Paterson to run the troopers.
State police called the woman who reported the abuse, Sherr-una Booker, even though they had no jurisdiction over the case.
Booker said David Johnson, one of Paterson's top aides, assaulted her.
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