THE BOMBSHELL

Paterson Aide Allegedly Assaulted Woman

Governor may have used influence in coverup.

Has the bombshell finally landed? A week after The New York Times wrote about David W. Johnson’s meteoric rise from being New York Gov. David Paterson’s driver to his top aide, the paper has released its next installment of the Paterson files: It reports that a woman accused Johnson of violently assaulting her last fall, but involvement from state police and possibly the governor himself led to her dropping the charges. According to the woman’s lawyer, Paterson called her in early February to ask if there was anything he could do for her. (Paterson says that the woman initiated the call.) The lawyer would not specify whether or not the call caused her to drop the charges. The woman, who does not want to be identified for fear of retaliation, told police that Johnson “choked her, stripped her of much of her clothing, smashed her against a mirrored dresser.” Paterson said in a statement that Attorney General Andrew Cuomo would be investigating the case, and also stated that Johnson would be suspended without pay.