By Alicia Cruz
The Black Urban Times
Paterson's former top aide's criminal record boasts two felony arrests for drug charges and a misdemeanor assault
Gov. Paterson's troubled aide is now his former aide, according to the New York Post.
David Johnson, who rose from Paterson's driver to being the Governor's top aide, was placed on unpaid leave Feb. 25 after reports surfaced alleging that he attacked his then-girlfriend in their Bronx apartment, then got the governor and other staff members to pressure the woman into not filing charges.
Johnson was officially removed from the state payroll roster on November 19 - coincidentally, the same day a Bronx judge gave prosecutors the OK to move forward with domestic violence charges against the 38-year-old aide.
Johnson was officially removed from the state payroll roster on November 19 - coincidentally, the same day a Bronx judge gave prosecutors the OK to move forward with domestic violence charges against the 38-year-old aide.
Sherr-una Booker had been dating and living with Johnson for about four years, along with her 13-year-old son, when on Halloween night 2009, she says Johnson violently attacked her because he did not approve of the way she was dressed. Booker alleged that Johnson grabbed her by her throat yelling, "I'll f------ kill you before I let you go anywhere."
She said that Johnson, an imposing figure at 6-foot-7, lifted her body off the floor as he continued choking her, then threw her against a mirrored dresser as he ripped her costume off of her body. Booker, 37, said she tried to telephone 911 but Johnson ripped the phone from her hands.
When police arrived to the couple's apartment, the NYPD officers refused to arrest Johnson, and the head of Paterson's state police detail, Maj. Charles Day, allegedly asked Booker not to file charges.
Johnson, who was not suspended from his duties until the New York Times exposed the assault on Booker, surrendered to authorities in August 2010 and was charged with criminal mischief, harassment, assault, and menacing. He is due back in court Jan. 5. Soon after Johnson's assault was made public, Paterson announced he would not run for a full four-year term.
While the Governor's office was accused of knowing about the attack and attempting to coerce the victim into not pressing charges, Gov. Paterson was not found to have committed any wrongdoing per a 53-page report released by former Court of Appeals Chief Judge, Judith Kaye on behalf of State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's office in July 2010.
The report read, "there is no evidence that Gov. Paterson committed witness tampering or any related offense. Because there is no evidence that the governor knew that Booker was or was about to be called as a witness in an action or proceeding on Feb. 7, or that he attempted to induce her not to appear in court or testify, or otherwise engaged in any fraud or deceit to affect her testimony, none of the elements of witness tampering or any related offense has been met."
Johnson, who was Paterson's closest aide, enjoyed a cushy position replete with a high-end salary and a designated room at the Governor's mansion for overnight stays. Reports from various media outlets detail a checkered past for the lanky aide that included two felony arrests on drug charges, including selling cocaine to an undercover cop in Harlem when he was a teenager.
A spokesman for Governor Paterson said Johnson underwent a "standard background check by the State Police in 2008, which found no criminal record."
Upon further examination of his criminal background, David Johnson was found to have had "altercations" with different women on three separate occasions, two of those incidents involved police. During the 1990s he was arrested and charged with misdemeanor assault, however there is little information available on that case.
According to a New York Times report, while Paterson was a State Senator in 2001, Johnson allegedly punched a girlfriend outside the senator’s Harlem office, but was never arrested in that case. When questioned, he denied hitting the woman, adding that the she came to the office "inappropriately" and had been asked to leave by others.
The woman, who asked to remain anonymous, told The New York Times that Johnson was violent with her during that incident, but that she did not file formal charges against him. She did say that she filed domestic violence charges against him after an earlier incident, but "declined to offer evidence of that," the article stated.
When pressed about Johnson's criminal background, Paterson made note of how long ago the former aide's drug arrests occurred.
"David Johnson has demonstrated, over the course of his adult life, that people can change their personal circumstances and achieve success when given a second chance. I will not turn my back on someone because of mistakes made as a teenager," said Paterson.
Paterson's seemingly non-chalant attitude towards his top aide's domestic troubles took many by surprise since he made domestic violence one of his signature causes when he was lieutenant governor, then signed a major expansion of New York’s domestic violence law which allowed judges to issue civil protection orders against people in dating relationships, shortly after he took office as governor in 2008.
In October 2009, two weeks before Johnson attacked Booker, Paterson gathered with Domestic Violence advocates for a lighting ceremony at the Empire State Building to raise awareness about the crime. Jessica Bassett, spokeswoman for Governor Patterson would only reply, "no comment" when asked why the governor's office took so long to give Johnson the boot.
No comments:
Post a Comment
We appreciates all comments and fosters free speech, however, keep in mind that we have young readers who peruse our site. Having said that, please refrain from using profane language, and know that flaming will not be tolerated. Spam will not be tolerated.