The campaign kitty that Gov. Paterson is using to pay his legal bills — and that he was expected to tap to pay his $62,125 ethics fine — is nearly empty, and he may soon have to jettison the high-priced lawyer representing him in the 2009 World Series ticket scandal, The Post has learned.

Paterson, it was learned, barely has enough cash left in his war chest to pay the massive fine levied against him Monday by the state Public Integrity Commission for accepting free tickets from the Yankees and then lying under oath to cover his tracks.

While good-government groups have denounced the widespread use of campaign funds to pay lawyers defending politicians against charges of criminal and ethics violations, they’re especially outraged that Paterson was expected to use the account to pay off a fine imposed for breaking state law and lying about it.

Paterson has run up nearly $1 million in legal fees fighting off three different ethics and criminal investigations, hiring prominent defense lawyer Theodore Wells, who sources close to the governor say is being paid about $1,000 an hour.

“I don’t know how much longer Ted Wells is going to keep representing him. The governor really doesn’t have a pot to pour in,” the source told The Post, which first reported the story about Paterson’s freebie tickets.

(Source: NY Post)