Paterson Claims he disclosed phone call at center of probe to New York Times; NYT denies it
In a radio town hall appearance this morning in New York City, Gov. David A. Paterson claimed that he was the one who first told the news media that he had talked to a woman involved in a domestic violence complaint against one of his top aides.
“The individual who first made it clear that there had been a conversation was myself,” the governor told John Gambling, a host on WOR (710 AM).
His statement, however, is not accurate.
The New York Times first reported that the governor had talked to the woman, Sherr-una Booker, in an article that appeared on its Web site on the evening of Feb. 24.
The article also revealed that the State Police had intervened in the episode, even though it fell outside their jurisdiction. Five senior administration officials have resigned in the wake of the article, and Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo has named an independent counsel, Judith S. Kaye, the state’s former chief judge, to lead a criminal investigation.
In the course of reporting, The Times learned that the governor had called Ms. Booker, but that information did not come from the governor.
Before the article appeared, the Paterson administration was told by The Times that it had found out that the governor had had a conversation with Ms. Booker sometime in the first week of February.
The Times also posed a series of questions to the governor via an e-mail message sent to Peter E. Kauffmann, then the governor’s communications director, a few hours before the article was posted.
The first question: “Governor, why did you call the woman involved in the Halloween incident with David Johnson in the first week of February, just before she was due in family court as part of her domestic violence case against Mr. Johnson?”
The administration subsequently clarified that the call took place on Feb. 7, but it did so only after being told that The Times was aware that a telephone conversation between the governor and Ms. Booker had taken place.
“The individual who first made it clear that there had been a conversation was myself,” the governor told John Gambling, a host on WOR (710 AM).
His statement, however, is not accurate.
The New York Times first reported that the governor had talked to the woman, Sherr-una Booker, in an article that appeared on its Web site on the evening of Feb. 24.
The article also revealed that the State Police had intervened in the episode, even though it fell outside their jurisdiction. Five senior administration officials have resigned in the wake of the article, and Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo has named an independent counsel, Judith S. Kaye, the state’s former chief judge, to lead a criminal investigation.
In the course of reporting, The Times learned that the governor had called Ms. Booker, but that information did not come from the governor.
Before the article appeared, the Paterson administration was told by The Times that it had found out that the governor had had a conversation with Ms. Booker sometime in the first week of February.
The Times also posed a series of questions to the governor via an e-mail message sent to Peter E. Kauffmann, then the governor’s communications director, a few hours before the article was posted.
The first question: “Governor, why did you call the woman involved in the Halloween incident with David Johnson in the first week of February, just before she was due in family court as part of her domestic violence case against Mr. Johnson?”
The administration subsequently clarified that the call took place on Feb. 7, but it did so only after being told that The Times was aware that a telephone conversation between the governor and Ms. Booker had taken place.
NY Times
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