In his first full day as governor, David Paterson acknowledged yesterday that he has had affairs with “a number of women” in the past - including one state employee.
Standing with his wife, Michelle, in the Capitol’s Red Room, the governor said his “conscience is clear” when it comes to his marriage and infidelities.
“I just want to get straight with New York’s citizens, so that they know who their governor is, and that their governor takes this office seriously,” he told reporters.
Coming just a day after Eliot Spitzer formally resigned his governorship amid charges he hired a call-girl, Paterson’s admission hit the scandal-weary Albany like and unwanted relapse of some dreaded illness.
The 53-year-old father admitted that he was involved with numerous women “several years ago” - including one who worked in Gov. Spitzer’s office, aides said later, and has now been “inherited” by Paterson.
Paterson insisted he has never directly supervised the woman and that he never used state funds for any of the trysts, some of which he has said took place at The Days Inn at Broadway and W. 94th St.
Asked if he had ever used campaign funds for hotel costs or other personal expenses, he said he never “knowingly” did so and agreed to release all pertinent records.
Paterson and his 46-year-old wife first revealed that they both had affairs in their past to The Daily News in a joint interview on Monday in response to a variety of rumors in Albany related to their marriage.
Given that Eliot Spitzer was forced to resign as governor amid charges he hired a call-girl, Paterson has conceded that there will likely be more scrutiny on the private lives of top state officials than in the past.
In Paterson’s case, the new governor suggested to The News on Monday that there had been only one other woman in his past, rather than the multiple women he admitted to yesterday. His wife also acknowledged an affair in her past.
One would hope he takes his job more serious than he did his marriage.
This is a good example of controlling the news. Gotta love those NY voters. Hilliary, Elliot and Big Dave.
I agree that this is a different way to go than what others have done in the past and I actually like it. It also takes out a lot of the controversy that will happen down the line if this is discovered by some other source. I also have a lot of respect for people who are willing to admit that they made a mistake and don’t try to hide it. I applaud this guy for admitting that he’s not perfect and I respect him for that. I don’t condone having an affair though.
I wouldn’t go out of my way too far to applaud Patterson’s honestly. This shit happened years ago and it is only now being made public. He has been a public servant the whole time, been elected multiple times, but only now that he knows the truth will come out does he come clean. I lose respect for them for the way they have handled it.
I see your point but he didn’t have to come out. He still could’ve waited and hope that it wouldn’t have come out eventually. We keep hearing about all of these politicians having affairs and stuff, but how many get away with it and we don’t hear about it?
He certainly could’ve waited. Elliot did, how did that work out. That is the gamble. Do I control the news and spin it the way I want or do I let the media do it and risk my job.
I would contend that the ratio of politicians that cheat on their spouses and get away with it is very similar to the normal population. The ones that get caught just happen to have much more publicity around them.
I heard this on the news last night and I was depressed…more so because of the decline in the sanctity of marriage.
No kidding Matt, I feel the same way. Why do people get married if they’re still going to screw around? Or why not get divorced if you want to screw around?
I think about the impact it must have on their kids.
Sing it! I guess it’s so commonplace now but it still disgusts me.
In his first full day as governor, David Paterson acknowledged yesterday that he has had affairs with “a number of women” in the past - including one state employee.
Standing with his wife, Michelle, in the Capitol’s Red Room, the governor said his “conscience is clear” when it comes to his marriage and infidelities.
Brilliant move! Spend a little political capital and throw it out there during the honeymoon period when people are afraid to attack the blind/black new governor. As long as there was nothing illegal this will be buried and because of his forthcomingness, will be off the political table for future use as a side attack issue. All is forgiven & forgotten.
A year from now after all the love and novelty has worn off and he can be attacked like any other sitting governor by his political enemies, this piece of ammunition will be missing from his enemies’ arsenal for use as a big discovery item and odds are it would have come out sooner or later and probably at the most inopportune time.
Bravo! Shows this guy is a smart political cookie with balls.
JJ
I heard this on the news last night and I was depressed…more so because of the decline in the sanctity of marriage.
Is it a decline because more and more people are cheating on their spouses. Or is it a decline because, while people have cheated on their spouses as much in the past as they do now, it’s no longer being covered up.
Great question. It’s depressing because it seems that more and more people are cheating. But I have no data to back this up…maybe it’s just because information is so readily available to us in this era? Maybe the truth is that less people are cheating, but the bottom line is that I sure hear about it more often than I used to.
I totally agree with you. It is quite diturbing IMO.