Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Ex-Paterson Cabinet Official: State Police Super Misled Me
By
Jen Chung
Published Feb 25, 2010
Modified Feb 25, 2010
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Chung
Published Feb 25, 2010
Modified Feb 25, 2010
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
In the wake of the NY Times' article about the Governor's and State Police's possible interference in an abuse claim against an aide to Governor Paterson, state Commissioner of the Division of Criminal Justice Services and Deputy Secretary for Public Safety Denise O'Donnell turned in her resignation today. O'Donnell, who oversaw many agencies including the State Police, now says she was misled by about the alleged interference: Back in January, "I was assured by Superintendent Corbitt that the State Police were not involved."
State Police Superintendent Henry Corbitt admitted to the Times that a state trooper visited a Bronx woman who accused Paterson aide David Johnson of assaulting her in their apartment. Corbitt said the trooper didn't intimidate the woman and that he only gave the accuser "options," claiming that "such an inquiry was customary for the department if an episode involved a high-profile person, and that it was done in the 24 hours afterward." However, O'Donnell now said in a statement:
... In early January, following a breakfast meeting on another subject, State Police Superintendent Harry Corbitt informed me that a senior Administration staff member had been involved in an incident months earlier where a Domestic Incident Report was filed. Superintendent Corbitt told me the staff member had an argument with his girlfriend, that a Domestic Incident Report had been filed, but that there was no arrest and that the matter was being handled as a local police matter by the New York Police Department.
My immediate concern was what role the State Police would take in the investigation and I was assured by Superintendent Corbitt that the State Police were not involved.
It was only last night when I learned from press reports the contrary details, including the involvement of the State Police.
O'Donnell said her resignation is due to this incident, adding, "The fact that the Governor and members of the State Police have acknowledged direct contact with a woman who had filed for an order of protection against a senior member of the Governor's staff is a very serious matter. These actions are unacceptable regardless of their intent."
Tagged
david johnson
david paterson
denise o'donnell
governor paterson
initimidation
state police
state trooper
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Dump truck driver hits and kills cyclist on 34th Street in Midtown, NYPD says
It's the latest in a string of hit-and-run deaths in the city in recent months.
By
Liam Quigley
Published Sep 28, 2026 at 4:15 p.m. ET
New ingredient mandated for Latin American kitchen, restaurant plates in NJ
The Garden State now requires that corn masa dough and flour made and sold in the state be fortified with folic acid.
By
Arya Sundaram
News
New ingredient mandated for Latin American kitchen, restaurant plates in NJ
The Garden State now requires that corn masa dough and flour made and sold in the state be fortified with folic acid.
By
Arya Sundaram
A Brooklyn jail cell filled with smoke. The emergency button failed, a lawyer said.
By
Samantha Max
Crews launch tunnel machines to dig first new Hudson River rail tunnels since 1910
By
Michael Sol Warren
NYC nor’easter dries up after weather service reports minor flooding
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .