New NY governor admits adultery

2008-03-18 12:31

Albany, New York - Just hours after he received a standing ovation from lawmakers chanting his name, New York's newly sworn governor was answering questions about straying from his own marriage.

David Paterson became the state's first black chief executive and the second legally blind governor in US history almost exactly a week after allegations first surfaced that now-former Governor Eliot Spitzer was "Client 9" of a high-priced call girl service.

Paterson told the Daily News of New York City that he maintained a relationship with another woman from 1999 until 2001 during a rough patch in his marriage. He and his wife eventually sought counselling and repaired their relationship.

Each had affairs

The couple agreed to speak publicly about their marriage in response to rumours about Paterson's personal life that have been swirling in Albany since Spitzer resigned, the Daily News reported on its website.

Paterson and his wife, Michelle, acknowledged to the newspaper that they each had affairs but did not go into details.

"This was a marriage that appeared to be going sour at one point," Paterson told the Daily News. "But I went to counselling and we decided we wanted to make it work. Michelle is well aware of what went on."

A spokesperson for the governor, Errol Cockfield, did not immediately reply late on Monday to an e-mail or telephone calls seeking comment about Paterson's interview with the News.

Unity

Hours before the interview, Paterson outlined a message of unity in a state eager to move past his predecessor's sordid and speedy political collapse.

"We move forward. Today is Monday. There is work to be done," Paterson said. "There was an oath to be taken. There's trust that needs to be restored. There are issues that need to be addressed."

Spitzer, according to ex-aides, was at his Columbia County farmhouse 77km south of the state capital Albany at the time of Paterson's swearing-in.

Where Spitzer's 14-month tenure was marked by partisan sniping, Paterson, a fellow Democrat, reached across the aisle in his remarks from the ornate Assembly chamber.

"What we are going to do from now on is what we always should have done all along," the former state senator said. "We're going to work together."

- AP