The undoings of a governorship

Editor’s note: The following report is a news analysis of other mass media reports. It is meant as an introductory overview to the concerning issues.

New York State’s government continues to bury itself into a hole, in more ways than one. Add to the ballooning $9.1 billion deficit a slew of recent alleged scandals dealing with the intertwining of Governor David Paterson’s personal and political life. 

With each day, more reports compile, exposing allegations of corruption and misused power by the governor.

Allegations of Paterson’s misdoings have spread like wildfire in recent weeks, predominately being reported by The New York Times and later being picked up by political pundits and bloggers far and wide.

A flurry of articles suggested that Paterson had interfered with the court proceedings of domestic violence case against one of his top aides. Days later, reports broke out that Paterson violated ethics laws after asking and receiving free tickets to last year’s World Series and subsequently lied about paying for them.

Last week Paterson officially dropped his plans to seek re-election this year but continues to reject claims from New York representatives and good government groups urging him to resign at once.

As far back as September, President Barack Obama was rumored to have asked Paterson not to seek re-election for the good of the Democratic Party.

“I am working on the business of the people of New York State, the most urgent of which is that we pass a budget... and at a certain point, I will cooperate with the investigations and will be clearing my name,” Paterson said outside of his New York City office on Friday, March 5.

A day earlier, Peter Kauffmann, the governor’s communications director, announced his resignation. Kauffmann said in a statement that he could not “in good conscience” remain in affiliation with the Governor’s office. Kauffman was Paterson’s third top official to resign in the wake of recent events.

An Associated Press report announced the same day that a group of black leaders in New York City rallied in support of the governor owning to the fact that he deserves his right to due process and should continue on in office.

Richard Reddy, sociology professor, has been closely following what he refers to as the New York State government's “legislative and civic train wreck over the past few years.”

As to whether Paterson should resign, Reddy said, “There are some very serious charges being made about the Governor's conduct, but, of course, technically in our legal system, you are innocent until found guilty.”

Paterson served as former Governor Eliot Spitzer’s lieutenant governor. He replaced Spitzer in the middle of his term in 2008. Involvement in a prostitution ring led Spitzer to resign and all but disappeared from the political scene.

Spitzer is now in his second semester teaching political science courses at the City College of New York where it has been reported that he has donated his $4,500 part-time salary back to the school. More recently, he gave a February talk at Syracuse University about accountability of the banking industry during which he claimed to have no intentions of returning to the political scene.

The start of Paterson’s demise can be traced back to his first truly controversial high-profile decision to replace U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s New York Senate seat in January 2009. Politicians and the press both questioned Paterson’s unchecked authority to appoint democrat Kirsten Gillibrand to the seat. Gillibrand will run unopposed for re-election on Nov. 2.  

 “Whether it is his own doing or just a product of the difficult political and economic environment, he certainly looks like his days are numbered one way or another,” said political science professor David Rankin in a recent interview.

According to a New York Times article titled “Paterson Is Said to Have Ordered Calls in Abuse Case,” printed March 1, statements from government officials with connections to Paterson claimed the governor had asked two state officials to approach a woman who was in pursuit of a restraining order against David A. Johnson, a close aide to the governor.

A statement from the woman’s attorney held that Paterson called the woman directly to ask that she drop all charges against Johnson. Later in the week, representatives of the New York State Police denied accusations that a pair of New York State Troopers had visited the woman’s apartment in attempts to pressure her out of returning to court hearings.

Andrew Cuomo, the state’s attorney general has been appointed chief investigator of all allegations against Paterson. Perhaps also controversial is the notion that Cuomo, while not having officially announced his intentions, is the favorite for the Democrats’ candidate for the governor race.

“It’s a product of his position but at the same time it might have something to do with why Cuomo has been sort of laying low on the question of whether or not he is running for governor,” Rankin said.

There may still be some honor in Paterson's attempt to diligently promote his agenda and establish some sense of fiscal recovery for the state, but he must do so without an overwhelming amount of political and public support.

“He may well be right fiscally and in many of his policies, but the personal problems he has brought upon himself may well mean that he's very unlikely to accomplish those goals,” Reddy said. “It's sad, maybe even tragic, for him and for the State of New York.”