Paterson Claim in Abuse Case

The lawyer for the woman who had sought court protection from one of Gov. David A. Paterson’s top aides disputed on Thursday the governor’s claim that it was the woman who had initiated a telephone conversation with Mr. Paterson the day before she was due back in court.
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On Wednesday, Mr. Paterson said the woman, who had accused his aide of choking and otherwise assaulting her in their Bronx apartment last fall, called him on Feb. 7 merely to reassure him that she was not the source of rumors circulating about the governor’s private life.
But Lawrence B. Saftler, the lawyer for the woman, contradicted both those claims Thursday. Mr. Saftler said that the woman was called, unbidden, by a female intermediary on behalf of Mr. Paterson on Feb. 7 and told that the governor wanted her to call him, which she did.

Mr. Saftler said the conversation had nothing to do with rumors about the governor’s private life. He said, as he had on Wednesday, that the conversation lasted about a minute, that Mr. Paterson had asked if the woman was all right, and concluded by saying, “If you need me, I’m here for you.”

The woman, who had been pursuing an order of protection against Mr. Paterson’s aide, David W. Johnson, for more than three months, did not appear in court on Feb. 8, the day after her conversation with the governor.

The woman, who has asked not to be named for fear of retaliation, had gone to court on three occasions, seeking a protective order against Mr. Johnson and complaining under oath that she had been repeatedly harassed by the State Police not to press charges or seek the court-ordered protection.

Mr. Paterson has asked Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo to investigate whether Mr. Johnson or the State Police improperly sought to influence the woman into dropping the case. The governor also suspended Mr. Johnson without pay pending the outcome of the investigation. The State Police superintendent, Harry Corbitt, has acknowledged that a trooper from the governor’s executive detail visited the woman in the hours after the alleged assault. Mr. Corbitt said that the police were not trying to pressure the woman but were apprising her of her “options” to seek counseling. He said he did not know if other troopers had contacted the woman, and Mr. Paterson has asked Mr. Corbitt to investigate his department.

Mr. Saftler said that the woman would not speak publicly about the matter but would cooperate fully with any investigation.

“I would like to note to the public and the press that my client is an alleged victim of domestic violence,” Mr. Saftler said. “My understanding is that there has been an official investigation requested of this matter. We will cooperate with the authorities at this time or at any time they so request. We have no further comments pending that investigation. I ask that you respect the privacy of my client.”