New York AG Andrew Cuomo Recuses Himself from David Paterson Probes

New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has removed himself from his office's investigations of Gov. David Paterson and appointed an independent counsel, as he apparently gears up to announce his own gubernatorial run.

Cuomo said Thursday that Judith Kaye, the former chief judge of New York's highest court, would lead the inquiries into Paterson's handling of an aide's domestic violence case and whether the governor lied about soliciting World Series tickets.

"This is an unfortunate situation and these are unfortunate days," Cuomo told reporters of the scandals surrounding Paterson.

As for his own expected bid for governor, Cuomo remained noncommittal, though he is widely expected to run.

"At the appropriate time, I will be announcing my political intentions," Cuomo said.

Paterson dropped out of the race last month as details emerged about his efforts to prevent a woman from going public with charges of abuse against one of his top aides. That was followed by a report by the State Commission on Public Integrity that said Paterson had testified falsely during a probe into whether he had accepted free World Series tickets last fall.

Kaye, the first woman to serve on the state's high court, was appointed in 1983 by Cuomo's father, former Gov. Mario Cuomo. She retired in 2008 and now works for the international law firm Skadden, Arps.