Posted on 03/19/2008 7:41:49 AM PDT by fweingart
(Gov. David Paterson, with his wife, Michelle, at his side, publically addresses his past extramarital affairs - a story first reported by the Daily News.)
In an extraordinary public confession less than 24 hours after taking office, Gov. Paterson said Tuesday he has had affairs with "a number of women" in the not-so-distant past - including a current state employee.
Standing shoulder to shoulder with his grim-faced wife, Michelle, the governor said his "conscience is clear" - now that he has come clean about his private infidelities. He said he hopes now to focus on the public's business.
"I just want to get straight with New York's citizens, so that they know who their governor is, and that their governor takes this office seriously," he told reporters packed into the state Capitol's ornate Red Room.
Coming a day after he succeeded Eliot Spitzer, who was toppled by a prostitution scandal, Paterson's startling admissions hit Albany like a surreal, recurring nightmare.
The affairs were a symptom of a then-troubled marriage, the governor said - she cheated, then he cheated, then he cheated some more.
The 53-year-old Paterson admitted he was involved with numerous women "several years ago" - including one who later worked in Spitzer's office and whom Paterson has "inherited" as part of his staff.
Sources later identified her as Lila Kirton, 49, whom Spitzer brought over from his attorney general's staff when he became governor last year. She is now community affairs director for the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs.
Paterson insisted he never supervised the woman and never used state funds for any of his trysts, some of which took place at the Days Inn at Broadway and W. 94th St.
Asked if he had ever used his office to promote or otherwise help any of the women with whom he was intimate, Paterson said on one occasion he helped resolve a health care matter, but otherwise denied using his influence.
"It was more an issue of humaneness and I did it and they had to accommodate her," he said without elaborating.
Asked if he had ever used campaign funds for hotels or other personal expenses, he left himself some wiggle room - saying he never "knowingly" did so. He also agreed to release hotel and credit card bills, which aides were still scrambling to find.
Meanwhile, since the press conference an Olympic gold-medalist has also come forward, claiming she had a "close relationship" with the Governor and allegedly tape recorded her phone conversations with him, according to a newspaper report.
Diane Dixon, a Brooklyn native who won medals in the 4x400-meter relay at the 1984 games in Los Angeles and the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, claimed that Paterson had assisted in helping her secure a Department of Education job in Crown Heights. .
'Peaks and valleys'
Michelle Paterson, 46 - who acknowledged a past affair of hers in an exclusive interview with Daily News columnist Juan Gonzalez on Monday - stood at her husband's side and silently affirmed his account.
She took questions, too - including on what lessons she hoped the couple's children would draw from their decision to stay married.
"In a marriage," the state's new First Lady said stoically, "you're going to have peaks and valleys, but you want to show them how you get through them."
The legally blind Paterson and his wife of 15 years - dressed smartly in a black belted skirt suit and white blouse - entered the news conference hand in hand and patiently fielded questions for half an hour.
Along the mahogany-paneled walls stood many staffers who only a day before were working for a different governor, among them Lloyd Constantine, one of Spitzer's most trusted advisers, and Paul Francis, Spitzer's budget director.
And on the 2nd day ...
It was a wild mood swing from the euphoria of Monday, when Paterson strode into the Capitol's raucous Assembly chamber to chants of "David! David! David!" to take the oath of office as New York's 55th governor and its first African-American chief executive.
On Monday, the Patersons' two children - Alex, 14 and Ashley, 19 - stood proudly by their sides. Yesterday, they were kept away.
When Paterson and his wife first revealed their unfaithful pasts, Paterson mentioned only a single affair, which he suggested had ended in 2001.
Yesterday, he expanded on that account to include "a number of women" and conceded that at least one dalliance continued into his term as Senate minority leader, which began in 2003.
At first, he suggested, his wandering ways were motivated by jealousy after learning of his wife's affair.
"When I became aware of something, I was pretty upset and I was kind of just angry," he said before quickly moving to absolve his wife of any real blame.
"I was jealous over Michelle," he added. "But it was not Michelle's fault."
Friends said the couple is as united privately as they are publicly.
"It makes a big difference when you are both together on this," said Terry Burrus, one of Michelle Paterson's closest friends. "The agony comes from when you are dishonest with each other."
Their decision to face the press was a clear effort to confront the issue in the most direct, public way possible.
"We decided to tell the truth," Paterson said flatly.
When his aides tried to end the press conference, even as reporters' questions hung in the air, Paterson pressed ahead, saying, "What I'd really like to do, so everybody knows, is to deal with this, put this all behind me."
Refreshing honesty
His forthright approach seemed to score points with many in Albany, including Republicans who a week ago were calling for Spitzer's impeachment in the prostitution scandal.
Senate GOP leader Joe Bruno offered no sign of trying to milk Paterson's revelations for political gain, suggesting the fledgling governor will be spared any negative fallout.
"I think his personal life is his personal life, and he has to share what he is comfortable sharing," Bruno said.
"As long as it doesn't interfere with the way he is governing, it's nobody's business. David is able to handle himself. What is important is that the budget get done in two weeks."
The governor said that ultimately he decided to come forward out of concerns that rumors about his past could be used against him by political opponents.
Many in Albany said state officials need to focus on important issues, like how lawmakers will close a $4.6billion gap in a state budget that is due in two weeks. Indeed, that was Paterson's business later in the afternoon in a meeting with legislative leaders.
"I think we're living in a time when it's not a revelation that many couples go through difficulties like this," said state Controller Thomas DiNapoli.
"Again, the fact that they've weathered and they've stuck together, I think that's to be admired and commended. And let's get to the business before the state."
Let's ask Billy Goat Clinton, curator of that prestigious Clinton Library, Massage Parlor and Adult Store.
What is it about these Democrat wives that love to take a psychological beating?
Tabloids no doubt will be after Dixon and her tapes. Paterson might also have broken laws. What a lurid mess.
They’re not wives. They’re mind-numbed Marxist robots.
To be fair, do you remember what happened to speaker-elect Bob Livingston?
It’s also been revealed that he used his influence to get a job for one of them - only about 2 months ago!
And we are surprised by this revelation???
From someone in politics...
To me it seems it doesn’t matter what your party affiliation is anymore...
You have to ask yourself this question...Is promiscuity or infidelity really a damnable offence if you are an elected official???
And why are people who are so charming to a certain set of supporting constituents, need sex that bad that they need to pay for it in some cases???
Just some random thoughts...
I wonder what his taste in women is? Does a blind guy still like only good looking women?
Interesting question, isn’t it?
“Asked if he had ever used his office to promote or otherwise help any of the women with whom he was intimate, PATERSON SAID ON ONE OCCASION HE HELPED RESOLVE A HEALTH CARE MATTER”
Abortion of an unwanted pregnancy maybe?
Standing alone before God, he might not do so well, depending on how he lives the rest of his life.
The “Reverend” Wright must have had a sermon about going forth and multiplying....the questions is, was the new governor of New York present at the sermon....or did he buy a tape of the sermon.....
so the NEW governore just admitted he has an open marriage like Bill and Hillary.
as a pure PC fact of life, who is going to kick the blind man? answer, nobody.
(of course spitzer’s wife is chewing him out for resigning...)
Grotesque. Yet probably typical. No wonder they hate George and Laura Bush. Miserable cheats hate happy, faithful couples.
That guy is just plain fugly! And what’s with the “no shaving” thing? He looks like he’s a bum! Or a major league pitcher.
HE’S BEEN WRIGHTING DIRTY!
"Better put some ice on that"
"Some pyrethrin will clear that right up."
"Relax, Planned Parenthood is right around the corner."
"That'll wash off in a day or two."
The latest gal, Lila, worked in his office. People get fired for doing that.
You just know he wouldn’t have come clean about all this if he could have hidden it. The media must have been after him and he decided to jump out in front of the parade.
The women just love that earthy odor.
“Better get a checkup. I might have AIDs.”
However, he hasn't a clue what his wife looks like.
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