[UPDATE BELOW] Representative Steve Israel of Long Island, a longtime friend of Governor Paterson’s who was high in the running to fill Hillary Rodham Clinton’s Senate seat, personally called Paterson this morning to implore him to abandon his election campaign in light of today's news. Israel would not reveal Paterson's response, but he tells City Room, "I think it’s become apparent that he should not seek re-election and should announce it soon. Look, sometimes friends have to speak unpleasant truths, and as a friend, I told the governor there is life after Albany." Paterson has had trouble building support in the Democratic party for his campaign, and now it seems that his allies are taking the opportunity to jump ship.
When asked about the Governor's future, another ally, Assemblyman Darryl C. Towns, "sighed heavily" and said, "I don’t know. I don't know." Assemblyman Carl E. Heastie, who is also the chairman of the Bronx Democratic Party, would not say whether he still supports Paterson. And State Senator Bill Perkins, who holds Paterson's old seat, today told Politico, "In the context of all that's going on, as reported in the Times, I don't think that the governor should be running for re-election...The involvement of the State Police seems to be out of order, the phone call to the victim the night before is of great concern. The domestic violence is of great concern."
And now NOW's piling on; the New York chapter of the organization has demanded "further clarification" from Paterson, who is now being tight-lipped after a solid week of sharing his feeling of vindication when the Times didn't publish any bombshells. NOW's president tells the Observer, "If the governor had tried to influence a victim of domestic violence, we would consider that extremely inappropriate."
In an interview on WOR-AM, Paterson declined to discuss today's Times article, which reveals that a woman who accused his closest aide, David Johnson, of assaulting her, dropped her legal action the day after a phone call from Paterson and meeting his State Police security detail. (Only last night, as the Times went to press, did Paterson suspend Johnson.) Paterson refused to comment on air today because last night he personally called Attorney General (and presumptive election rival) Andrew Cuomo and asked him to investigate the matter. Paterson dryly added, "I spoke to him last night, explained the whole situation to him, and he was happy to help."
UPDATE 2:45: The cabinet official who supervises the state police has resigned. City Room reports that the official, Denise E. O’Donnell, has fallen on her sword amidst reports that the state police and Paterson intervened in a domestic-assault case against a senior Paterson aide. In her resignation letter, submitted at 2 p.m. today, O'Donnell wrote:
The fact that the Governor and members of the State Police have acknowledged direct contact with a woman who had filed for an order of protection against a senior member of the Governor’s staff is a very serious matter. These actions are unacceptable regardless of their intent. The behavior alleged here is the antithesis of what many of us have spent our entire careers working to build: a legal system that protects victims of domestic violence and brings offenders to justice.
