Saying there were “credible issues that need to be resolved,” New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo announced Thursday he will appoint an independent counsel to investigate two separate incidents involving Governor David Paterson.

Cuomo said he will appoint former New York State Chief Judge Judith S. Kay to investigate Paterson’s possible interference in domestic violence allegations against a member of his staff. In addition, Kay will probe whether Paterson lied under oath regarding charges that he solicited free World Series tickets from the New York Yankees.

“What we have found in the preliminary review is that there are credible issues that need to be resolved,” he said.

Cuomo said his office had conducted a preliminary investigation of both matters and decided that the cases were not wholly without merit and should be looked at further.

The appointment comes amid rampant speculation of Cuomo’s intent to run for governor of New York. While he has not declared his candidacy he is widely considered a leading candidate to replace Paterson, who has said he will not run for another term. Cuomo has faced criticism over the investigation and its implications for his candidacy.

Sidestepping several questions from reporters over how his possible run influenced the decision to appoint Kay, Cuomo said he was acting out of an “abundance of caution and a zealous effort to ensure public integrity.”

In October, a woman accused Paterson aide David Johnson of choking her, The woman, Sherr-una Booker, filed a domestic violence complaint against Johnson. Paterson has acknowledged that prior to the hearing in family court he and two staff members, along with a member of his state police detail, spoke with Booker. Paterson denies that he tried to get Booker to drop the complaint.

Booker did not show up for the hearing and the case was dropped.

Paterson came to office in 2008 after then Governor Eliot Spitzer resigned over a prostitution scandal.