Paterson aide took football tickets from developer

From the NY Post:

Gov. Paterson's top personal aide, David Johnson, took in a Giant-Cowboy game during a two-day sojourn to Dallas in September -- the junket courtesy of a wealthy New York City developer, The Post has learned.

Affordable-housing builder Jonathan Coren paid for Johnson's coach-class plane tickets to and from Texas, his two-night hotel stay on Sept. 19 and 20, and tickets to the game at Cowboys Stadium on Sept. 20.

The Governor's Office said Johnson reimbursed Coren, but when asked for details, the explanations were as wobbly as a Tony Romo pass.

First, a spokesman told The Post that Johnson wrote a check for the $1,085 in expenses and that the office would provide a copy of the check as proof.

But when The Post asked for copies of both the front and the back of the check -- to show when it was dated and when it was cashed by Coren -- the office changed its story.

"He reimbursed with cash and reimbursed all expenses, including airfare, hotel and the[game] tickets," said Paterson spokeswoman Marissa Shorenstein.