Investigation of ex-Cape clerk now in hands of state officials

By JAEGUN LEE

TIMES STAFF WRITER

WATERTOWN DAILY TIMES      TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2010

CAPE VINCENT — The state attorney general's office has taken over the investigation of former Town Clerk Jeri Ann Mason.
Ms. Mason, who was elected to office last November, resigned abruptly Sept. 14 after discrepancies were found in the town's finances.
Lee Park, a spokesman at the attorney general's office in Albany, said Monday that the "Mason case is a matter under review by the attorney general's office" but would not speculate on how long the investigation would take.
The case is being reviewed by the attorney general's Public Integrity Bureau, which is part of the office's criminal division that handles "complex investigations into government corruption, fraud and abuse of authority" at both the "state and local level," according to the attorney general's website.
Jefferson County District Attorney Cindy F. Intschert said that the case originally was brought to her office's attention by Cape Vincent Supervisor Urban C. Hirschey and that she referred the matter to state police investigators at the attorney general's request.
Mr. Hirschey would not comment on whether Ms. Mason was accused of embezzlement and referred all questions to the attorney general's office.
http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/article/20101116/NEWS03/311169981