A new picture of the woman at the center of the domestic violence episode rocking Governor David Paterson's administration was obtained exclusively Thursday by NBCNewYork.
Sherr-una Booker is cooperating with investigators but dislikes being in the eye of a media firestorm and longs for her privacy, said her attorney Lawrence Saftler.
He said she stands by her account of being physically abused last Halloween by her then boyfriend, Paterson's former right hand man, David Johnson.
The incident caused her to pursue a domestic violence case against Johnson which she then dropped after Paterson contacted her.
Saftler described Booker as a loving mother of two teen-aged sons who prides herself on telling the truth.
"I know she has good values and I know that she's doing what she thinks is the right thing and I think that she's doing the right thing," Saftler said. "And I think that will come out."
Saftler said he released the photo of the 40-year-old Booker, dressed in a brown pin-striped jacket, in the hopes that the media will end stakeouts of her Bronx home.
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"This intense press attention has taken a great toll on her and we request that you respect her privacy," Saftler said.
Johnson denies any wrongdoing.
He was suspended by Paterson following the abuse revelations, and five officials have resigned including press secretary Marrissa Shorenstein who handed in her papers yesterday, saying "due to the circumstances that have led to my unwitting involvement in recent news stories, I can no longer do my job effectively."
Others who resigned are Peter Kauffmann, former communications director, Denise O'Donnell, the deputy secretary for public safety and two state police officials, Harry Corbitt and Pedro Perez.
