Paterson Discusses Past Extramarital Affairs

The day after he was sworn in to replace a governor who left office in disgrace because of a prostitution scandal, Gov. David A. Paterson admitted that he had had relationships with women other than his wife, including one who is on the state payroll It was yet another surreal scene in Albany, a city still reeling from revelations last week that Gov. Eliot Spitzer had become ensnared in a federal investigation into a high-priced prostitution ring and his resignation. That another governor could have questions raised about his sex life, so soon after being sworn in, seemed agonizing to many here. In the earlier news conference, Mr. Paterson said he was speaking out because he did not want the state to become embroiled in another sordid distraction. “I wanted to come forward because I didn't want it hanging over my head,” Mr. Paterson said. “I didn't want to be compromised, perhaps, by innuendo or some sort of message that you better not do something or we're going to out you about the infidelity in your marriage.” Sheldon Silver, the speaker of the State Assembly, said he admired Mr. Paterson’s courage in admitting the infidelity and suggested that the couple’s past problems, which he called “a nice story,” could serve as an inspiration to other couples who find their marriages imperiled.