ALBANY - Gov. David A. Paterson and wife, Michelle Paige Paterson, acknowledged Monday having extramarital affairs during a rocky period in their 15-year marriage.
Speaking to the Daily News shortly after Paterson's swearing-in ceremony, the couple discussed his affair with "a woman other than my wife" from 1999 until 2001.
The admission of infidelity is a bombshell, coming a week after then- Gov. Eliot Spitzer was linked to a high-priced prostitution ring, a revelation that drove him from office.
"Like most marriages, you go through certain difficult periods," Paige told the Daily News. "What's important is for your kids to see you worked them out."
Several political experts, who requested anonymity, said they doubted the Patersons' infidelity would oust the new governor because it didn't involve law-breaking and had ended.
They also said it was commonplace among some lawmakers to have extramarital affairs or so-called "second families" in the capital.
Paterson said he and his wife eventually sought counseling and repaired their relationship. They even had romantic encounters at the same hotel -- the Days Inn at Broadway and West 94th Street in Manhattan -- where he had conducted the affair while serving as Senate minority leader.
A Paterson spokesman didn't immediately return telephone and e-mail messages last night. Spokesmen for Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno (R-Brunswick) and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver (D-Manhattan) declined to comment.
Attorney General Andrew Cuomo couldn't be reached for comment; a spokesman for Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli didn't immediately return a message seeking comment.
Sen. Eric Schneiderman (D-Manhattan), who worked closely with Paterson when he lead Senate Democrats, said he wanted to read the story before commenting.
The Patersons agreed to speak publicly about their marriage in response to rumors about Paterson's personal life that have been swirling in the Capitol since Spitzer resigned last Wednesday.
Paterson, who served as lieutenant governor from January 2007 until Monday, became the 55th governor after Spitzer's stunning fall from grace amid allegations he hired prostitutes from the Emperors Club VIP.
Federal prosecutors must still decide whether to pursue charges against Spitzer.
The married father of three teenage girls was accused of spending tens of thousands of dollars on prostitutes -- including one in Washington the night before Valentine's Day.
After his swearing-in, Paterson and his wife acknowledged the affairs, but did not go into detail.
"This was a marriage that appeared to be going sour at one point," Paterson told the Daily News. "But I went to counseling and we decided we wanted to make it work. Michelle is well aware of what went on."
Paterson said top government officials are bound to be under the microscope for their personal actions, especially considering the prostitution scandal.
At Paterson's swearing-in, he caused audience members to gasp when he introduced a story about his wedding day with, "Michelle and I have a different kind of marriage."
However, there was quick relief when Paterson quickly followed with a story about how his stepdaughter wouldn't let him sit next to Paige in the limousine after the wedding.
The Patersons have two children, a 19-year-old daughter Ashley who is attending Ithaca College and who is from Paige's previous marriage, and Alex, their 14-year-old son, who attends the Beacon School in New York City.
Paterson has been hailed as a politician of integrity and a man who can build consensus in Albany after a tumultuous year under Spitzer.
Paterson denied to the Daily News that he used state or campaign money to pay for liaisons with the woman during the rocky patch.
Also Monday, former New Jersey Gov. Jim McGreevey said he, his wife and a male aide engaged in sexual threesomes, contradicting a denial issued hours earlier by his estranged spouse.
In an e-mail to The Associated Press, the nation's first openly gay governor said published reports by former campaign aide Teddy Pedersen are true.
Staff writer Erik German contributed to this story.
