(CNN) -- New York Gov. David Paterson should not face charges involving alleged attempts to cover up domestic violence claims against a former aide, a retired judge appointed to investigate Paterson's actions concluded in a report issued Wednesday.
The report said Paterson was guilty of "errors of judgment" but committed no crime.
Judge Judith Kaye, a former chief judge of the state appellate court, investigated whether Paterson interfered in the domestic violence case involving David Johnson, a former top aide.
In her report, Kaye said police officials and Paterson made some mistakes in handling the October 31 case involving Johnson and his girlfriend but broke no laws.
Kaye cited repeated instances in which Paterson contacted the woman, including after he referred the case to the state attorney general.
"Regardless of any good faith reasons on the part of the governor for contacts that he initiated, these were errors of judgment," Kaye wrote.
However, Kaye said her investigation showed that evidence in the case "warrants consideration of possible charges against David Johnson relating to the October 31 domestic incident." Her findings are not binding on the Bronx County district attorney handling the case, she noted.
At a New York City financial control board meeting Wednesday, Paterson declined to comment on the report, saying he had yet to read it.
The state attorney general, Andrew Cuomo, appointed Kaye as independent counsel in the case to avoid any potential conflict with his own plans to run for governor.
© 2012 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
|