early and often

Who Are David Paterson’s Girls?

Why does this woman have tape
recordings of Paterson?Photo: nypost.com

As with the Spitzer scandal, the news cycle for David Paterson’s affairs has now moved onto the lucky ladies in question. Although Our Lady of Indignation Andrea Peyser names the new Governor’s trysts as “too many to count,” there’s still only one woman who’s an official notch on the motel-room bedpost, and a second who, while perhaps totally innocent of any hanky panky, still sounds a bit sketchy. But given what we do know, who are the ladies to whom David turned to during his dark, jealous hours of marital misery?

The Post names one as Lila Kirton, an employee of Spitzer’s at the attorney general’s office who then followed him to the governor’s New York City office, where she served as the director of community affairs (and made a nice $150,000 a year, to boot). Paterson’s campaign wrote Kirton a check for $500 for “professional services” in 2002, but we’re pretty sure it wasn’t for that, considering Paterson has said their relationship lasted for several years. With Spitzer’s resignation, Paterson has inherited Kirton as part of his staff — awkward! He has said that he will “accommodate her wishes” in regards to whatever she wants to do about that situation. We’re guessing those wishes might involve the words “paid leave of absence” and “Maldives.”

Two-time Olympic gold medalist Diane Dixon has also been name-checked as having a “close personal relationship” with Paterson — and though the details are a little less explicit, both Dixon and the Post were so kind as to come together to provide us all with a nicely posed photo shoot for this occasion (never let your big moment pass you by, we say!). The track-and-field star recently got a job within the City’s Department of Education and claims that it was mostly through Paterson’s influence; she also happens to have tapes and dates of conversations she’d had with him. Seems rather convenient, no? Strikes us as not so much candles-and-rose-petals romantic as grand-jury defensive, but maybe we’re just old-fashioned.

David Bares Dirty Harem [NYP]
Paterson Gal’s Tape Shocker [NYP]

Who Are David Paterson’s Girls?