Albany, NY – Press Secretary Marissa Shorenstein is expected to announce her resignation later this afternoon, sources said.
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The move comes amid a string of departures from Paterson’s cabinet as the embattled Governor faces an ethics probe over allegations he accepted Yankees tickets and lied about it under oath.
He is also accused of inappropriately intervening into a domestic violence case involving former aide, David Johnson. Paterson and state police are accused of contacting the accuser, Sherr-una Booker, about the case.
Shoerenstein’s decision to leave the Paterson’s camp comes on the heels of two other high level resignations in his cabinet. His director of Communications, Peter Kauffmann, turned in his walking papers, saying in a statement: “I cannot in good conscience continue in my current position.”
New York State Police Harry Corbitt resigned early this month after admitting that state troopers had contacted Booker over the assault allegations.
A week later, Corbitt’s deputy, Officer Pedro J. Perez also stepped down, but in a letter to Paterson he denied that it was because of the domestic violence probe. “I know my decisions were honest and rightly motivated,” he said.
Speaking on Don Imus’ radio show this morning, Paterson made his first public denial that he acted inappropriately in the matter. He said he never urged Booker to do anything but “follow the law.”
NBCNewYork learned two weeks ago that Shorenstein had sent an email to an intermediary, state worker Deneane Brown, asking Booker to sign a missive that would exonerate her former beau, David Johnson.
The missive contained a draft statement reading: “David Johnson and I dated from x date until October, 2009. Though our break-up was not friendly, there was nothing acrimonious about our relationship or its ending. Any allegations to the contrary are false.”
Booker refused to sign off on it but she never appeared at a family court hearing to press charges against Johnson. The case was dismissed.
Paterson has denied his guilt and today he told Imus that he is certain to be exonerated in the ethics probe. He says emails will prove that he never acted inappropriately.
Marissa is the daughter of Hyman Schorenstein, who arrived in the United States from Poland as a child, who still holds a special place in the annals of American politics.
He helped open the door to Eastern European immigrants in the party organization (he was the borough’s first Jewish Democratic district leader, in 1919),
Anyone working for Paterson is involved the the annals of American politics, to put it mildly…
“Marissa is the daughter of Hyman Schorenstein . . . he was the borough’s first Jewish Democratic district leader, in 1919.”
Not many people who were already adults in 1919 were still fathering daughters in 1980. I find it more believable that he was her great-great uncle, as the New York Times has reported.
First let all his crooked employees go and then let him be the last to go.
She is Jewish!
Is it just me or does it seem like everyone having to do with politics is corrupt?
Like rats deserting a sinking ship.
Hyman Schorenstein was her great-great uncle, not father
She is the daughter od Stuart Shorenstein a mover and shaker on the UWS.
This story is rapidly achieving the status of “dog bites man”. In Pesach terminology – “alleh necht fun a gantz yohr”.
Whoever leaves last the room should please turn off the lights.