The Rev. Al Sharpton said last night after a meeting of influential black leaders that most want Gov. Paterson to remain in office.
Sharpton spoke after a two-hour powwow behind closed doors at Sylvia’s restaurant in Harlem that he called to take the temperature of three dozen African-American lawmakers and others.
“Most of us in the room strongly felt the governor should stay,” Sharpton told reporters.
Sharpton acknowleded that opinion wasn’t unanimous, but said all participants agreed they didn’t want to do anything that would interfere with Paterson’s “due process rights.”
“It seems there are many more concerned with feeding the frenzy of scandal,” Sharpton said, adding, that Paterson shouldn’t be “tried by media and allegation and accusation.”
Among those who took part the meeting was former Mayor Dinkins; former state Comptroller Carl McCall; Hazle Dukes, one-time president of the NAACP; and Rep. Gregory Meeks of Queens.
Sharpton said the leaders were concerned that the business of the state move forward and planned to meet soon with Paterson and legislative leaders.
The gathering was the second in less than a week that Sharpton had convened on Paterson’s fate.
The session was contentious at times, as anger was vented against some officials who had called for Paterson’s resignation, participants said. Public Advocate and close Andrew Cuomo ally Bill de Blasio, who recently said Paterson should quit, was singled out for attack.
Earlier in the day, State Democratic Chairman Jay Jacobs told a large group of party leaders yesterday that Gov. Paterson has a “limited” time frame to confront the mushrooming scandal swallowing his administration, sources told The Post.
But Jacobs also told the various county chairs in a conference call not to urge Attorney General Andrew Cuomo to enter the gubernatorial race until his probe of Paterson and his aides and state-trooper detail is wrapped up.
Jacobs “laid out what had happened” with Paterson over the past few days and at his own private meeting with the governor at the Executive Mansion this week, a source said.
The chairman spoke for at least 15 minutes, and denied a report that he’d planned to ask the governor to resign at the Albany meeting.
Several sources said there was agreement on the call about sticking with Paterson for now, and not calling for him to resign.
There was also consensus that Cuomo would be the party’s nominee. Some Democrats said Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy may try to battle his way in for the nomination, but few were worried about it.
A source, who was on the call, said there was anger among some African-American and Hispanic leaders about the intense media focus surrounding Paterson and Rep. Charles Rangel, who are both black Democrats, in contrast to white pols like upstate Rep. Eric Massa, who’s facing allegations he sexually harassed a male aide.
One county chairman told Jacobs that he approved of the approach to give Paterson time to give his side of the story.
Jacobs agreed, but cautioned, “We can’t give an unlimited amount of time,” according to two sources on the call, adding that that was a reference to the fiscal crisis in Albany.
Jacobs declined comment when reached by The Post, and several participants said he asked people on the call not to discuss what took place.
Jacobs scheduled the call soon after Paterson said last Friday that he wouldn’t run for office again. Many made clear they’re concerned about new revelations to come.
maggie.haberman@nypost.com