ALBANY — Sequestered in the Executive Mansion for much of Tuesday, embattled Gov.

David A. Paterson vowed during a series of private visits with Democratic leaders that he will

remain in office until an investigation is completed by the attorney general.

But the scandal took another toll Tuesday with the resignation of State Police

Superintendent Harry J. Corbitt, whose agency is under investigation, along with the governor,

to determine whether illegal contacts were made to pressure an alleged domestic-violence

victim to drop her case against a top Paterson aide.

As more Democrats and Republicans called for his resignation, Paterson pushed back.

"I don't think that I've been accused of anything," Paterson told a handful of reporters as

he left the Capitol on Tuesday night.

In private talks with legislators, the governor defended himself against allegations he was

involved in the getting an alleged victim of domestic violence to drop her case against one of

his top aides. He told the legislators he would be cleared by the investigation of Attorney

General Andrew M. Cuomo, according to several sources knowledgeable of Tuesday's talks in the

Executive Mansion.

The governor declined to comment on reports that he directed aides to reach out to a woman

who had accused one of his top confidantes, David W. Johnson, in a domestic-violence episode

last Halloween.

"That's part of the case," he said of the Cuomo investigation.

The New York Times reported on its Web site Tuesday night that Deneane Brown, a state

housing official identified as among those who reached out to the alleged victim, told Cuomo

investigators that Paterson asked her to tell the woman "to make this go away." The Times said

that Brown contacted the accuser but that the content of those conversations or e-mails is not

yet known.

There was talk Tuesday that, under pressure from Democrats, Paterson was preparing to go

before the media to explain his side of the story. But, if so, the governor was giving no

indication of that by nightfall.

"It's very difficult, because my instinct is to come and answer them. I really never shied

away from the media before and would love to answer these questions," he said.

But he added that he didn't think Cuomo's investigators "would want me talking about the

facts of this case in public because that would be like testifying."

On the issue of Corbitt's resignation, Paterson replied, "No comment," when asked whether

he had asked Corbitt to resign.

Corbitt, a Buffalo native, announced his retirement on an Albany television station, saying

the "pressure" on him and his family had become "unacceptable."

"I'm a cop, a good cop," Corbitt told Capital News 9. Corbitt was interviewed by Cuomo's

investigators Monday.

Paterson would only say, "I think that we'll move forward now, and we will look to see who

will be the best person to lead the State Police." He said Corbitt had "worked hard [and] was

helpful at this period."

Corbitt's resignation came after Denise E. O'Donnell, a former U.S. attorney in Buffalo,

resigned last week as the governor's top criminal-justice official; she suggested that she had

been lied to about the role of the State Police in contacting the alleged victim in the

domestic-violence case.

A 90-minute meeting between Paterson and the two leaders of the Legislature in the

Executive Mansion did not include demands that Paterson step down, said Assembly Speaker

Sheldon Silver, D- Manhattan.

"I do not feel he should resign. The investigation is pending. No discussions should be had

until that's complete," Silver said as his car left the Eagle Street mansion near the Capitol.

The governor has called for a meeting of his department heads this morning.

Republicans, including gubernatorial contender Rick Lazio, called on Paterson to resign.

Meanwhile, one Long Island Republican, Assemblyman Phillip Boyle, introduced a resolution to

impeach the governor.

Also, the New York chapter of the National Association for Women, added their voice to the

resignation drumbeat, calling Paterson's alleged actions "inappropriate." According to the New

York Times, pressure was applied on on Sherruna Booker of the Bronx, whom Paterson has also

known for years, to end her domestic-violence case against Johnson. Among Democrats, Sen.

Kirsten E. Gillibrand, told a New York television station that if the latest allegations

against Paterson are true — that he directed two staff members to reach out to the Bronx

woman who accused Johnson of roughing her up — then he will have to resign.

Paterson, nursing a bad cold, was quickly ushered away by aides and his security detail

after answering some questions by reporters stationed near the doors that led to his state

vehicle.

In Manhattan for a fundraiser Tuesday, Cuomo, who wants to run for Paterson's job this

fall, told reporters that his probe of the Paterson administration would be done "as fast as

practical."

Legislative sources said that Silver and Sampson were set to discuss Paterson's possible

resignation during the meeting at the mansion but that Paterson was the first to raise the

topic. After defending his actions, he said quitting would not be on the agenda, according to

sources.

Lt. Gov. Richard Ravitch said Tuesday that he had "no idea" whether Paterson was thinking

about quitting.

"I'm not aware of any compelling reason for him to resign at this point," Ravitch said.

In private meetings with Silver and Sampson, the governor also discussed the state budget

— in crisis because of a looming cash flow problem at the end of the month and a more

than $9 billion deficit for the coming fiscal year that begins in a little more than three

weeks.

Paterson, who announced last week that he would not run this year, received some support

from Hispanic lawmakers who also attended the meeting.

"We asked him to see what was the whole story and then we decided to support him to stay,"

said Sen. Ruben Diaz, D-Bronx.

But some lawmakers, speaking privately, said they believe that top Democrats such as Silver

and Sampson have sent signals to Paterson that if the scandal is not resolved quickly, he

should resign from office.