Wednesday, February 17, 2010

So here's the big Paterson bombshell...

From the NY Times:

David W. Johnson has worked for Gov. David A. Paterson for much of his adult life. He began as a young, ambitious intern from Harlem when Mr. Paterson was a state legislator. He rose to be Mr. Paterson’s driver, serving as a kind of protector and scheduler.

In recent months, however, Mr. Johnson’s ascent has been striking: he is now one of the most senior people in the governor’s administration, paid $132,000. He is described as Mr. Paterson’s closest confidant, a man with a designated room for his overnight stays in the Executive Mansion, and a broadening role in areas like campaign strategy, government initiatives and the management of the governor’s staff.

A review of Mr. Johnson’s rise and his history, undertaken after he emerged as perhaps the man closest to the state’s chief executive, shows that he was twice arrested on felony drug charges as a teenager, including a charge of selling cocaine to an undercover officer in Harlem.

The examination of his background, based on interviews and records, shows he has at least one other arrest, for misdemeanor assault in the 1990s, although there is very little publicly available about that case.

Mr. Johnson, 37, has also on three occasions been involved in altercations with women, two of which led to calls to the police. As recently as October, the police responded to a complaint of harassment at a Bronx address of a woman involved with him. It is unclear if the altercation was verbal or physical or both, but the case is listed as closed.


If they wanted to reveal something really dirty, they should look into the Aqueduct deal.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

It reads like a hatchet job, they report as news incidents where police were called and no charges were filed just to make the man look bad.

Where he was charged they report the charges but not the disposition.

I wonder, was the man ever convicted of a felony? Or even a misdemeanor?

The Times obviously knows the answer but doesn't tell us, probably because the answer undermines their agenda.

Anonymous said...

That is the point - this guy has so much baggage they can claim any trivia (from a big list of things) to try and throw the dogs off the scent.

Its still comming folks. Sit tight.

Anonymous said...

I think the fact that our good Governor admitted to hiring a thug or goon to keep his constituents in line is very telling of his poor judgment. You all should have voted for Faso.

Babs said...

Get to the Aqueduct Deal already!

THAT is the ONLY Patterson story I'm interested in. I couldn't care LESS what ANYONE smoked or snorted when they were a TEENAGER! Any discussion on this is so freakin' meaningless!

Wha'sup with the NYTIMES? They competing all of the sudden with the National Enquirer?

This is wild - someone's GUNNING for the Gov. - but who?

Babs said...

I should add - BESIDES Cuomo.

I just don't think Cuomo would involve himself in a story like this.

faster340 said...

Oh please they made it sound like they had something totally rotten on Paterson...

I am not a big fan of Paterson but I think they are really grasping at straws here.

Babs said...

I think it's more of a message from someone to Patterson -

The NYTimes is supported by very wealthy people - Dems mostly - IF these wealthy people were ALSO "connected" - perhaps they are threatening Patterson to play the game THEIR way or no way.

We all know about the Aqueduct Deal - yet the media is not really on it like I would think they would be - AND instead they are focusing on THIS "non-story" about this smuck.

I DON'T get it.

(this would make a good detective story though - wouldn't it? . . . .)

Ridgewoodian said...

Weak.

Anonymous said...

rumor is that he can see.. been playing blind for too long