NEW YORK -- A new report in the New York Times says Governor David Paterson personally directed two state employees to contact the woman who told police she was assaulted by one of his top aides.

The New York Times cites an unnamed source in reporting that the governor told his press secretary, Marissa Shorenstein, to ask the woman to describe the incident with David Johnson as non-violent.

The New York Post reports Shorenstein met Monday with investigators from Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's office.

Paterson also reportedly asked another state employee, Deneane Brown - who is friends with both the accuser and the governor - to contact the woman before she was due in court to finalize an order of protection against Johnson.

Brown reportedly arranged a phone call between the woman and the governor.

The assault case was dropped when the accuser did not show up for a hearing on Feb. 8.

Johnson has been suspended without pay from the governor's office.

In a public appearance Monday, Paterson declined to comment on the case - citing the investigation by Cuomo.

He also said he will not resign, despite calls from some Democrats that he step aside.

"I think there is a hysteria that I've been the victim of over the past couple of months," he said. "I've been resigning about five times before this weekend. During the Super Bowl, I spent the whole Super Bowl trying to dispel rumors that I was resigning the next day over what, I have no idea. So I think when an actual situation came up where I've called for an investigation of the role that the state police may have played in an actual incident, the drumbeat would continue about my resignation."

The governor also indicated he has no plans to give up the day-to-day negotiations on the state budget. Some have called for him to delegate more responsibility to Lieutenant Governor Richard Ravitch.