New York Governor Says Casino, Other Scandals Unfounded
New York Governor David Paterson is facing a battery of investigators and agencies searching through his recent acts for criminal and erhical violations, but he says scandals such as manipulating the casino rights for Aqueduct Race Track and accepting illegal gifts are without foundation. Paterson told reporters Friday that he would speak to the state attorney general's office and the Public Integrity Commission to clear his name.Paterson has been accused of ignoring higher bids by Penn National Gaming and other gambling operators to award the casino license for Aqueduct to Aqueduct Entertainment Group. AEG has amomng its associates Jay-Z, noted as a close friend of the governor, and Reverend Floyld Flake, an influential community leader whose support may have been crucial to Paterson's plans for re-election, recently dropped.
Paterson is also facing charges that he interfered in a domestic violence case involving one of his top aides, and that he accepted a block of World Series tickets in violation of state ethics laws against gifts for public officials.
Common Cause, a watchdog group advocating government accountability, called for Paterson's resignation earlier in the day, saying addressing the scandals is preventing Paterson from dealing with important state business, including handling its budget crisis.
Paterson said he would not resign, and promised to meet with state authorities to resolve any appearances of impropriety on his part. However, the casino rights investigation may be harder for him to quell, as reports had federal investigators looking into the process of naming Aqueduct's future gaming operator.
