ALBANY — Gov. Paterson yesterday blamed many of his political woes on the early departure of a trusted aide outed by The Post as a tax deadbeat.
Chief of Staff Charles O’Byrne resigned in October 2008 after revalations that he owed the IRS $300,000. O’Byrne, a lawyer and former Jesuit priest, had been one of Paterson’s closest confidants and was generally deemed his most capable strategist.
Paterson also said on his weekly radio show that he regretted not taking the time to find a better replacement. He initially chose Bill Cunningham, a member of his dad’s law firm, but later booted him in favor of his current chief, Lawrence Schwartz.
“A lot of things happened in those four months that caused me a lot of problems,” Paterson lamented.