Governor George E. Pataki today announced he has appointed attorney Austin Campriello as Special Commissioner to head removal proceedings against Dutchess County Elections Commissioner William Paroli Sr., who has been indicted by the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York for extortion, bribery, embezzlement and witness tampering.

Campriello, who has a long history of fighting corruption, served as the Chief of the Rackets Bureau of the Manhattan District Attorney's Office until 1980 and as Chief Counsel of the Gill Commission, which investigated corruption in New York City Public Schools from 1989 to 1990.

Pursuant to Section 34 of the Public Officers Law, Campriello will investigate all charges against Paroli and conduct a hearing as to the truth of the charges. By law, Campriello will have the authority to subpoena witnesses and require the production of all relevant records.

"Months ago, I made it clear that Bill Paroli should step down as Dutchess County Elections Commissioner, but he refused," Governor Pataki said. "It's clear his actions threaten to erode the public's trust in the integrity of our electoral system. I again urge him to step down, but at the same time we will continue our proceedings to remove him.

"Austin Campriello is an experienced investigator who, I am confident, will do a fair and thorough job. The public and the people of Dutchess County must have confidence in their elections and our electoral system, which is the foundation of our republic."

The Governor's counsel's office has had preliminary discussions with the State Investigations Commissions (SIC) and the U.S. Attorney's office in connection with the charges against Paroli.

A 1971 graduate of Columbia Law School, Mr. Campriello is a partner with Robinson, Silverman, Pearce, Aronsohn & Berman LLP in Manhattan.

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