New York, NY —

Governor Paterson may have been much more closely involved in a top staffer's domestic violence case than previously reported.

Citing three sources with knowledge of Paterson's role, The New York Times reports that the governor personally helped draft a statement for the woman who accused his aide David Johnson of assault.  The statement said there had been no violence in the incident. The woman, who filed a police report describing a violent encounter with Johnson last Halloween, apparently rejected the statement.

Paterson's involvement in the case is the subject of a criminal investigation by the state's former chief judge, Judith Kaye. She's serving as an independent counsel for Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, after he recused himself from the case.

Five top Paterson administration officials have resigned since the scandal broke last month, and Paterson has announced he will not seek election to a full term in November. He maintains he did nothing improper, though he has admitted speaking to the woman who filed the complaint just before she failed to show up for a court appearance seeking a permanent order of protection against Johnson.