The state of New York is having some serious executive branch issues. Eliot Spitzer? Well, we all know how that turned out. His resignation put David Paterson in the governor’s mansion.

Gov. Paterson was surprisingly quick to acknowledge an old instance of marital infidelity, and shortly behind that admitted drug use in his younger days. Both cases are far behind him, right?

Not so fast, Skippy.

The Albany Times Union has this today:

Gov. David Paterson and an aide identified as his former lover traveled together to South Carolina last October, apparently to work on the campaign of U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton, and billed the state for the trip, state comptroller records show.

Errol A. Cockfield Jr., Paterson’s spokesman, could not explain why both Paterson and the woman, an employee of the governor’s office who makes almost $151,000 annually, were both at an inn identified on bills as InterContinental Hotel SA in South Carolina, last October.

A person familiar with their schedules said Paterson worked on Clinton’s presidential campaign in South Carolina last October and the woman served as Paterson’s staff on the trip. Her state job title does not seem to cover such assignments, but she was said to be on her personal time.

Yet the costs for both state officials, including the hotel stays and commercial airfare on JetBlue Airways, were billed on state credit cards. The Clinton campaign should have covered all the costs in advance, so the bills may be incorrect, the person familiar with the situation said.

I wonder how this is going to play in New York, and with the Clinton campaign.