Those craving a scandal will be disappointed tonight. The New York Times published a story this evening about David Paterson’s ties to his longtime aide, but it doesn’t come close to the wild rumors that have been simmering for the past month.
The governor is under scrutiny, the Times reports, for his closeness with aide David A. Johnson, who was arrested on two felony drug charges when he was a teenager. Now 37, Johnson is “one of the most senior people in the governor’s administration,” making $132,000 per year, and some Paterson aides say they are worried about the influence he has on the governor.
“David Johnson has demonstrated, over the course of his adult life, that people can change their personal circumstances and achieve success when given a second chance,” Paterson said. “I will not turn my back on someone because of mistakes made as a teenager.”
Johnson, who has a designated room in the Executive Mansion, was also arrested for a misdemeanor assault in the nineties, according to the Times.
