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Head of New York City commission resigns after granting early release to jailed ex-lawmaker
AP ^ | TIMOTHY WILLIAMS

Posted on 10/12/2004 5:47:44 PM PDT by SmithL

NEW YORK (AP) --

The head of a little-known city commission that granted an early jail release to an influential state senator has resigned under fire.

Raul Russi, chairman of the Local Conditional Release Commission, submitted his resignation to Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Tuesday. The mayor had been expected to oust him.

"In light of the commission's decision to grant the early release of former state Senator Guy Velella, Chairman Russi has decided that it was in the best interests of the City of New York to have new leadership at the commission," the mayor said.

The former Buffalo police officer and one-time chairman of the state parole board defended the decision to release the 60-year-old Velella, whom Russi said he had never met. "His was a compassionate release having nothing to do with politics," Russi said in a statement.

Russi had said he'd received tearful calls from the former lawmaker. "He sounded very depressed, very remorseful, a broken man," Russi said. "He's punished, he's down, he's out."

Velella was released last month after serving just three months of a one-year jail term for his role in a lucrative public works bribery scheme.

(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Government; News/Current Events; US: New York
KEYWORDS: russi; velella

1 posted on 10/12/2004 5:47:45 PM PDT by SmithL
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To: SmithL

Let me guess...


2 posted on 10/12/2004 7:00:49 PM PDT by telebob
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To: telebob

Velella's actually a Republican, sad to say.


3 posted on 10/13/2004 4:12:17 PM PDT by governsleastgovernsbest
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