New York – Last fall, a woman went to court in the Bronx to testify that she had been violently assaulted by a top aide to Gov. David A. Paterson, and to seek a protective order against the man.
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In the ensuing months, she returned to court twice to press her case, complaining that the State Police had been harassing her to drop it. The State Police, which had no jurisdiction in the matter, confirmed that the woman was visited by a member of the governor’s personal security detail.
Then early this month, days before she was due to return to court to seek a final protective order, the woman got a phone call from the governor, according to her lawyer. She failed to appear for her next hearing on Feb. 8, and as a result her case was dismissed.
Many details of the governor’s role in this episode are unclear or in dispute, but the accounts presented in court and police records and interviews with the woman’s lawyer and others portray a brutal encounter, a frightened woman and an effort to make a potential political embarrassment go away.
The case involved David W. Johnson, 37, who had risen from working as Mr. Paterson’s driver and scheduler to serving in the most senior ranks of the administration, but who also had a history of altercations with women.
On Wednesday night, in response to inquiries from The New York Times, a senior administration official said Mr. Paterson would request that Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo investigate his administration’s handling of the matter. The official also said the governor would suspend Mr. Johnson without pay. He declined to answer any specific questions about the governor’s role in the matter.
The woman’s lawyer said Mr. Paterson’s call came sometime between Feb. 1 and Feb. 8, the scheduled court date.
The lawyer, Lawrence B. Saftler, said that the conversation lasted about a minute and that the governor asked how she was doing and if there was anything he could do for her. “If you need me,” he said, according to Mr. Saftler, “I’m here for you.”
Mr. Saftler said the governor never mentioned the court case, but he would not say if the call had influenced her decision not to return to court.
The call also came as The Times was examining the background of Mr. Johnson, whose increasing influence with the governor had disturbed some current and former senior aides to Mr. Paterson.
The woman’s lawyer asked that she not be identified by name because she feared retaliation, in part because she works at a public hospital.
The alleged assault happened shortly before 8 p.m. on Halloween in the apartment she shared with Mr. Johnson and her 13-year-old son for about four years, according to police records.
She told the police that Mr. Johnson had choked her, stripped her of much of her clothing, smashed her against a mirrored dresser and taken two telephones from her to prevent her from calling for help, according to police records.
The woman was twice granted a temporary order of protection against Mr. Johnson, according to records of the proceedings in Family Court in the Bronx.
“I’m scared he’s going to come back,” she said, according to the records, in which the court referee noted bruises on the woman’s arm.
“I’m glad you’re doing this,” the woman told the court referee overseeing the case, “because I thought it was going to be swept under the table because he’s like a government official, and I have problems even calling the police because the state troopers kept calling me and harassing me to drop the charges, and I wouldn’t.”
She added, “I’ve never been through this before.”
Two days later, the woman was back in Family Court, and the order of protection was kept in place. And she again asserted that she had been pressured by the State Police.
“The State Police contacted me because they didn’t want me to get an order of protection or press charges or anything,” she told the court.
The State Police superintendent, Harry J. Corbitt, said he was told of the episode within 24 hours after it occurred. He confirmed that a state police officer had met with the woman, even though the episode occurred in the jurisdiction of the New York Police Department. He said the visit was made only to tell the woman of her options, including seeking counseling.
“Qusetions”–iz doss ingarish, poylish, yiddish? It certainly doesn’t look like any word that I know. But, of course it would be bittul toyreh if you were to spend any time at all learning our language–ENGLISH!!!
Patterson is beginning to make Rav Eliot Spitzer look like a real tzadik. Why does New York have to tolerate this drech in leadership positions when there are so many ethical and intelligent political leaders who are so much better choices.
Ok so what exactly did the gov do wrong I’m a bit confuesd sounds like he was conernd and cared about her to tell Her if she nedded anything he was there for her wow nice guy in my opinion dident mention the case in any way
Chances of Paterson getting reelected, Zero.
In Yiddish they say “ven ah fish shtinked fangt zich oohn tze shtinken finnem kup”. VeHamaiven Yooven
What a shame that the NYT wont just give up.
NYT, try anything you want, I am voting Patterson. I think he did the right thing not to place an Kennedy to the senate seat.
“The official also said the governor would suspend Mr. Johnson without pay. “
Will he be working on the campaign? In a salaried position?