Paterson Affair Was Apparently With Spitzer Aide
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- March
- 18
Gov. David Paterson admitted to having an affair with a woman who has been on the state payroll and works in the executive branch.
While Paterson did not identify her, sources said it is Lila Kirton, Gov. Spitzer’s director of community affairs.
Paterson officials would not publicly confirm the woman’s identity.
Kirton, 49, of White Plains, Westchester County, joined the executive branch when Spitzer took office in 2007, according to state records.
She has worked in state government since 1989, first as a law assistant in New York City Civil Court and later in the state Attorney General’s Office starting in 1990. She was promoted in 2002 as an assistant deputy and director of intergovernmental relations in the Attorney General’s Office.
Kirton could not be reached for comment Tuesday. Voice messages and e-mails left for her at her Albany and New York City offices were not immediately returned.
This entry was posted
on Tuesday, March 18th, 2008 at 3:56 pm by Joseph Spector.
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Paterson and his wife have been reconciled for a number of years, or so they say. So when did this particular affair occur? Was it during that troubled time period they had, or later in Albany? If it was later in Albany, that is another problem.
This is a little off-base. The governor should have refused to discuss his personal life and the newspapers should not be disclosing the identity of a private person unless it has some affect on the public.
They are reaping what they have sown. Popcorn.
Heh Ian, you people are losing control of the media, aren’t you?
Wallow in the mud, idiots! Catch everybody doing something wrong and see what you have left when it’s done. Drunkeness: Ulysses Grant who won a war. Adultery: Ike, FDR, JFK, LBJ, Rudy G and Bill Clinton. Drug use: “W”.
When you care more about the hard specifics of governance… when you follow not only the tax rate but the details of policies and how they generate spending or debt…when you understand that since time began people cheated on sex, but still functioned well and contributed to the society, then you will rise up out of the wallow and start to be a true citizen of a democracy. Self-governance ain’t no picnic and it ain’t no morality play.
But competence does indeed matter. So does intelligence, and fairness, and a human spirit of cooperation with others.
Wise up!
He came out publicly with his wife by his side, and she was not silent,she spoke to the media. Nobody is perfect and God did not make a perfect world. Whomever the person or persons maybe that is not the publics business.
Lets not be so quick to judge or make accusations with no real facts. This is how rumors get started and reputations get damaged. It is a new day so lets get on with the affairs of the state and leave peoples personal lifes as such, PERSONAL!!!!!
He has been seen with her privately in the last year. I suggest that some of these reporters talk to the staff at 74 State in Albany.
Speaking for myself, I don’t like this guy; I don’t like his politics; I don’t like his friends; I don’t like the Harlem machine he came out of; I don’t like his anti-police attitudes; and I don’t like the smug way he allowed himself to be dragged up to Albany as a token. The fact that he admits guilt of a class B misdemeanor and might have abetted that misdemeanor by using campaign funds to finance it only adds to my distrust and dissatisfaction. He and McGreevey and the like are bumbling, Dom Perignon guzzling bureaucratic snakes and the indiscretions in their personal lives only make me realize even more just how stupid and arrogant they are at base.
Lila is good people, she always does the right thing by the people in Westchester and she is a good dedicated employee. I feel bad for her that her name has been smeared all over the blog. She will get by this time and continue to be a dedicated hard working person. I wish her all the best.
Lila is a dedicated professional and always has been. I feel for her and her family having her name besmirched by ego and the political machine. She will survive and continue to be the professional that she is.
What ever happened to the “Bear Mountain Compact?”
So much for the “Bear Mountain Compact” with the press.
“What happens in Albany stays in Albany”
Although, I agree this is different as Paterson is the new Governor and the recent scandals in which just happened.
Jim Kelly – NY Conservative Campaigns
Speaking for myself, this governor did not particpate in
an illgal prostitution ring, did not hide his money
and did not pontificate against johns while he himself
was one..to the extent that mr and mrs patterson have
had marital difficulties I view it as a private matter
between the two of them apparently he cheated and so
did she..they were both forth coming about their
marriage in terms of its rockyness and that should be
sufficient for the general public…those of you who
act as if public figures should be purists by your own
standards are not being realisitic about the frailties
of human relationships…sinners are forgiven on sunday
aren’t they..by a higher authority than the posters
on this blog..and as long as the publics trust has
not been violated and public monies spent in connection
with the liasons no harm no foul…
The print editions of the NY Daily News say that Lila Kirton is married and has 12-year-old twins. So that is another family damaged by Paterson, and by Kirton herself.
WCpolitico’s remark about Paterson and Kirton doing something privately just last year in Albany deserves to be looked into on its own. If that is true, it is another big problem for both Paterson and Kirton.
OK…let’s make sure that Rudy Guiliani and David Vitter and Larry Craig get the same treatment, too. And don’t forget Newt Gingrich, Dan Burton, and other conservatives. If you’re going to have a new puritan inquisition, let’s be sure those on the right are also skewered. And by the way—- how bout the newspapermen and women and TV/radio folk; I want to know if they had affairs. And I want to know if the political PAC types have an affair.
And by the way, I want to know if Wahoo, ed, The Consultant, Ignatz, and all the rest had affairs – so I can know where there coming from.
you should not be asking about whether private citizens
have affairs to make your argument..you should be
asking whether private citizens have the right to
pry into the private lives or public citizens when
there is no effect on how they conduct their office…
that covers all of your points for both parties
ie should there be a fidelity litmus test for all
public officials…and if there were how many would
have to resign
The Consultant keeps defending his Albany friends and other politicians. Why? When someone is a top public official, they have an obligation not to be a slime ball. That goes for both parties. Paterson made this public. He had a lot of dirty laundry, and you can can bet there will be more to come. Some woman, who is named in the NY Post today, even has audio tapes of him.
I don’t think Paterson will last long. Blame that on Spitzer, who chose him. He is not qualified to be governor, even without his string of affairs. Next in line is Bruno, who is under Federal investigation himself. It all is a cesspool, and should not be defended.
My objective is fundamental fairness to elected officials
of both parties….plus I am not in the business of imposing
my moral or religious standards on anyone else….david
will get a chance to run for re election and the public
will decide..unless something further comes out which
undermines his stated explanation..
Man, you said it, Wahoo!
I second that. Wahoo, is correct. The NY political leaders on both sides of the aisle are bad. The Consultant as a wannabe insider defends corrupt politicians all the time. The Spano family is not exactly a profile in courage but represents big party political bosses, business as usual conduct. I did not like Spitzer b/c he was a bully. The Consultant and others like Bruno did not like him b/c he was trying to get rid of their influence.
Ian you are not even close…I didn’t like spitzer because
I knew he was a spoiled brat and a bully to boot not
to mention a liberal democrat..I find it interesting
that I am being criticzed for defending a democrat
when if as a republican who want to protect his
“influence” I ought to be calling for his resignation
so Joe Bruno can become governor..you are so cynical
and jaded you wouldn’t recognize an honest political
opinion if you tripped over it because you think everyone
connected with politics is corrupt..but I bet you
don’t think the teachers union is do you
Joe Bruno’s carrying even more unwashed laundry in the back seat of his Town Car than even Paterson. Silver, Bruno, Spitzer, Paterson, and Pataki in his final years are ALL systemic of the problems up there, not the solutions. Isn’t this palpably obvious?
The teachers union is in bed with the Democratic party, and has been for decades. The Republicans bow to it, too. It is a horrible union and should be put in its place.
I don’t look at these things from a “party” perspective. I look at it from a sleaze perspective. I can’t imagine defending sleaze of either party, of which there are many.
It is not all about “political opinion.” Or at least it should not be. Right is right and wrong is wrong no matter which party is involved. We also are talking about high-ranking public officials, not private citizens.
Does anyone seriously wonder why most of the public can’t stand the majority of politicians?
democracy is a poorly designed system..except for all the
rest
And it allows us, unlike some other “societies” to shine the light into the crooked corners of a sometimes very dark and untidy room.
yes it does…shine away…like anything else..some politicians are great..some are not…regardless of party
Let’s hope the Consultant doesn’t start singing “Shine on Harvest Moon.”
Or “I’m Getting Detrimental Over You.” :)
Or, in honor of our former County Clerk: “Lenny’s From Heaven.”
that is really funny..but I was thinking Al Joleson
“sonny boy”..at any rate while we are talking about
local crap which by the way has never really interested
me…the entire US economy is in crisis…I believe
we are in the equivalent of a depression…but for
the fed and the fdic…guys like cramer have driven
people into a frenzi about playing the market..my
uncle died with 50 million dollars..and he told me
the market is a suckers game….its gambling…
the problem is that there are millions of adjustable
mortgages, not even the subprime ones, that are about
to adjust in the next two years…and the people
in those homes cannot afford the new payments which
can be almost twice as much as the teaser rates
that is when we will really test the viability
of our financial system…I am hoping for the best
but I learned in college that they never abolished
the busines cycle…food is up…gas is up..medical
care is outrageous for everyone but the teachers,
and the dollar is worth nothing…have a martini
and hope ben bernanke knows what the hell he is doing
My uncle died with 60 milliion and he told me to put my money in the market, Go figure. Just kidding, of course. But, on a more serious note, as to our economy, we can only hope, as you say, that the Fed, et al, is astute. We have yet to hear much about the auto loans and credit cards. Some people say this is unprecedented, but leveraging yourself in any market is a danger, and it seems to me this is pretty much what happened in 1929-30. So, we did have a precedent, albeit in different instruments. As for the martinis, no more Junipero. Back to Boodles.
touche