Probable New York governor David Paterson has some legal problems of his own: the former Senate Minority Leader is currently embroiled in a discrimination lawsuit filed by photographer Joseph Maioriello, who claims Paterson fired him because of his race. Paterson, who replaced Maioriello with African-American photographer El-Wise Noisette, claims the termination came because Maioriello "was a holdover from former Minority Leader Marty Connor's regime." Paterson said he was unsure where Maioriello's loyalties lay and was worried that Connor, whom he ousted in 2002, and others were "'plotting' to re-gain control of the Democratic caucus." Furthermore, in a deposition, Paterson noted that he couldn't have discriminated against Maioriello because, well, he's blind. "Given my visual impairment, I did not know for certain the race of either the plaintiff or Noisette." No word yet on whom the Lt. Governor thought took better pictures. [NYDN, via Weekly Standard]
