Black Leaders Offer Support to Paterson

By WKBW Directors

Black Leaders Offer Support to Paterson

July 9, 2010 Updated Mar 5, 2010 at 8:38 AM EST

ALBANY, NY (NY POST) -- The NY Post is reporting that a summit of black leaders have lent their support to Governor Paterson while officials investigate the allegations into his administration.

The Rev. Al Sharpton said last night after a meeting of influential black leaders that most want Gov. Paterson to stay in office during a probe into his administration -- for now.

Sharpton personally stopped short of endorsing Paterson serving out his full term, but the statements after the meeting were fairly similar to what was said after another session last Saturday.

Last night's meeting was convened after a crush of new revelations about the governor's administration.

Earlier in the day, some of those who would later attend the confab privately called for Paterson to resign -- but later got "cold feet," one source said, as it became clear how many people wanted him to remain.

Sharpton spoke after the two-hour powwow behind closed doors at Sylvia's restaurant in Harlem that he had convened to sound out three dozen African-American lawmakers and other prominent community leaders.

"Most of us in the room strongly felt the governor should stay," Sharpton told reporters.

He stressed that no one was condoning violence against women by doing that -- a reference to the domestic-abuse case involving a gubernatorial aide at the center of the scandal.

Sharpton acknowledged the 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."

Read the full story from the NY Post by clicking here.

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