3/25/2008

Was NY Gov. David Paterson the 2nd gunman on the grassy knoll?

In the wake of the Eliot Spitzer prostitute-sex scandal, the media buzzed over Lt. Gov. David Paterson, the heir to Spitzer's gubernatorial office chair. He would be New York's first African American governor and the first legally blind governor. While not quite as astonishing as being an legally blind NASCAR driver, it's still a remarkable accomplishment how Paterson has overcome his disability to achieve political success.

But it's been a pretty rocky start for Paterson. Shortly after being sworn in, he acknowledged that he to had engaged in an extra-marital affair:

In a stunning revelation, both Paterson, 53, and his wife, Michelle, 46, acknowledged in a joint interview they each had intimate relationships with others during a rocky period in their marriage several years ago.

In the course of several interviews in the past few days, Paterson said he maintained a relationship for two or three years with "a woman other than my wife," beginning in 1999.

Well, at least he didn't have to pay for it like Eliot Spitzer did. A noted step up for New York.

Now, authorities are investigating if Paterson misappropriated campaign funds to conduct his extramarital affair:

In the latest revelation of a series of gubernatorial sex scandals, Gov. David A. Paterson has admitted he might have billed a hotel tryst with his lover to his campaign, listing the expenditure as "constituent services."

The New York Daily News reported today that Paterson occasionally used campaign funds to cover personal expenses and misreported the purpose of that spending. The newspaper said he generally reimbursed the campaign for those charges.

But Paterson acknowledged in an interview with the Daily News that he might not have reimbursed at least one payment.

The Daily News also found that in 2002, Paterson's campaign paid $500 for "professional services" to Lila Kirton, 49, a high-ranking state employee with whom Paterson had an extramarital affair.

Just today, Fox News is reporting that Paterson might have used state funds for political travel:

Speaking with FOX News, Cockfield said Tuesday that while Paterson made two trips related to the Clinton campaign, neither was to South Carolina last October. Cockfield said Paterson made a trip in December to Iowa, and to South Carolina last month. Cockfield said the Clinton campaign paid for both trips.

Cockfield said two people traveled with Paterson, although he could not immediately confirm the identity of one of the travelers. The other was Lila Kirton, who Cockfield said is someone the governor knows and trusts to assist him with his disability. Paterson is legally blind.

New York media outlets, citing anonymous sources, say Kirton was one of Paterson's lovers. ...

... A spokesman for New York Gov. David Paterson said the governor did not use state funds to pay for travel to and from campaign events for presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

And finally, today Paterson admitted that he used cocaine and marijuana in his younger days:

Carter couched the question by noting that he had asked Eliot Spitzer and his Democratic primary challenger, Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi, in 2006 if they had ever smoked pot.

He then turned to Paterson and asked whether he had ever used drugs - not pot specifically, but drugs in general.

Paterson replied: "Actually Dominic, I was in the audience that night, and was asked the same question . . . and I answered in the affirmative."

Marijuana?

"Yes," Paterson replied.

Cocaine?

"Yes . . . I think I was about 22 or 23. I tried it a couple of times."

Carter pressed whether that was the only time.

"Yeah, around that time, a couple of times and marijuana, probably, when I was about 20," Paterson responded. "I don't think I touched marijuana since the late 70s."

Ahhh, the youthful indiscretion.

Paterson needs to stop the stream-of-consciousness confessional before Oliver Stone appears to posit that it was him who was the 2nd gunman on the grassy knoll. Nevermind that Paterson would have been 9-years-old at the time, and probably inhibited by his legal blindness. But never the less, we shudder to think what he'll be confessing to next week.

This almost makes Illinois' pay-to-play scandal seem boring...

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Filed Under: National Politics

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