A reporter for the Columbia Journalism Review is suing Governor David Paterson to obtain e-mails between reporters and the governor's former communications director and former press secretary from earlier this year.

Between January and March, rumors were swirling that the New York Times was pursuing a story that threatened to force the governor from office.

According to the lawsuit, the governor's office declined to provide the e-mails citing, in part, confidentiality under the state's Shield Law that typically protects reporters.

"We want to see the records. I mean, we have a right to see them, the citizens of New York have a right to see them," said Clint Hendler of the Columbia Journalism Review. "If this precedent were to stand, it would rule an entire class of documents off-limits to the state's [Freedom Of Information] Law forever. And that would not be good for open government advocates, for journalists or for citizens."

The governor's office declined to comment on Friday.