New York State's newly appointed Governor David Paterson has admited to having sex with other women for years while still being married to his wife Michelle Paige Paterson. The news comes more than a week after the state is still feeling the effects of the Eliot Spitzer sex scandal. The New York Daily News reported the story on their website.
In a stunning revelation, both Paterson, 53, and his wife, Michelle, 46, acknowledged in a joint interview they each had intimate relationships with others during a rocky period in their marriage several years ago.
In the course of several interviews in the past few days, Paterson said he maintained a relationship for two or three years with "a woman other than my wife," beginning in 1999.
As part of that relationship, Paterson said, he and the other woman sometimes stayed at an upper West Side hotel — the Days Inn at Broadway and W. 94th St.
"This was a marriage that appeared to be going sour at one point," Paterson conceded in his first interview Saturday. "But I went to counseling and we decided we wanted to make it work. Michelle is well aware of what went on."
In a second interview with Paterson and his wife Monday, only hours after he was sworn in to replace scandal-scarred Eliot Spitzer, Michelle Paterson confirmed her husband's account.
"Like most marriages, you go through certain difficult periods," Michelle Paterson said. "What's important is for your kids to see you worked them out."
NY GOVERNOR DISCUSSES AFFAIRS
In an attempt to be honest during his tenure as Governor and avoid blackmail the Governor held a press conference with his wife the day after his swearing in ceremony on March 18th to address any rumors.
During a nearly half-hour press conference at the state capitol in Albany, David Paterson said he has had affairs with "several" women, two of whom had at one point been on the state payroll.
The governor, who was accompanied by his wife Michelle, said it is a personal matter and did not violate any laws.
He did not name either of the women. One, he said was a "inherited" staff member. A spokeswoman, Christine Anderson, later said she formerly worked for Eliot Spitzer, and began working for Paterson when he assumed the governorship. (Paterson had said the affair ended years ago).
A second woman may have worked for a time on the state payroll, but Paterson said the women did not benefit in any way from the relationship.
He did admit to once calling the employer of one of the women, and said the nature of the call was health related. A spokeswoman later explained that he called to ask that this woman be allowed to work for home for a period of time because of a health issue, which she did not detail further.
"I don't think I violated any laws," Paterson said. "I think we have a marriage like many Americans."
He said he went public with the information to clear his conscience and dampen rumors that have been circulating. A spokeswoman later said Paterson simply wasn't asked with any specificity about the relationship prior to the article that appeared last night on the Daily News website. The spokeswoman told reporters afterwards there was no request to hold the story until after Paterson's swearing in. source
