Gov. Paterson, liar, liar, pants on fire!
Sad to say, Paterson, who’s earned a reputation as something of a pathological liar during the past two years, is lying again to the people of New York — as he continues his claim that he can’t talk about the criminal investigations he faces, even though, of course, he’d so much like to do so.
Paterson, a Columbia University and Hofstra Law School grad (who flunked the bar), has insisted for well over a week — in the face of an avalanche of calls from Democratic Party leaders to come clean — that he’s not allowed to discuss criminal probes of his alleged efforts to intimidate a domestic-violence victim and/or his efforts to shake down the Yankees for World Series tickets and the charge that he lied about them.
“I certainly would like to do that,” Paterson proclaimed last week.
“It’s very difficult because coming forward publicly before subjecting yourself to the testimony in the investigation can be a very dangerous thing to do, and the last thing I want to do is offend the Attorney General’s Office or the investigators.”
At another point, he proclaimed, “My inability to discuss it prohibits me from communicating with the public.”
But, in fact, nothing prohibits Paterson from talking publicly about the facts.
Interviews by The Post with leading legal experts, as well as a source in Attorney General Andrew Cuomo’s office, showed that no law, court decision or regulation prohibited Paterson from defending himself publicly.
The only restraint on his talking, the experts agreed, would be the advice of Paterson’s criminal-defense lawyer — warning that anything he says could be used in a prosecution against him.
“The governor is free to say whatever he wants,” said the source in the Attorney General’s Office.
“Notwithstanding all of Paterson’s public comments — he can’t say this, he can’t say that — nothing prohibits him from speaking publicly and saying whatever he wants.”
Albany Law School professor Michael Hutter, a one-time nominee to the Court of Appeals and a recognized expert in criminal law, said flatly, “Any government official who is under investigation by the attorney general or any law-enforcement agency has the option to disclose or not to disclose what the person knows.
“To my knowledge, there is nothing in statute or created by the courts that would prevent the governor from talking about what’s going on.”
Former Albany County District Attorney Paul Clyne, one-time vice president of the New York District Attorneys Association, also insisted, “There’s nothing in the nature of some law-enforcement interest to keep anyone from speaking publicly about anything.
“And there’s nothing in the law that would preclude him from speaking.”