David Paterson Had State Workers Work on His Aide’s Accuser: Times

Life gets no easier for Governor Paterson. The Times finds sources who say that, even as the paper was preparing its story on Paterson aide David Johnson — whose aggressive break-up tactics appear to have been the last straw for Paterson 2010 — the governor had his press secretary Marissa Shorenstein ask the woman who had complained to police of Johnson’s rough treatment of her “to publicly describe the episode as nonviolent.”

The sources tell the Times that Paterson also got another state employee, friendly with the ex, to have a chat with her about the full protection order she was requesting against Johnson, which she later dropped.

Fox News has audio of the ex, identified by them as Sherr-una Booker, telling a family court that granted her a temporary restraining order, “I’m glad you’re doing this because I thought it was going to be swept under the table… I have problems with even calling the police because the state troopers kept calling and harassing me to drop the charges,” and other unpleasant details.

Booked was seen shortly thereafter driving a brand new Lexus, and failed to show up in court to obtain the full protection order.

“Paterson appears to have moved from worrying about his political future,” says Politico’s Ben Smith, “to facing the possibility of criminal charges.”