Opinion

Opinion: Attorney benefits by fighting Oneida Nation in the courts

Monday, June 18, 2012

"In a recent article entitled, ''Madison County officials make changes to county attorney's compensation,'' the newspaper uncovered that ''the Madison County Board of Supervisors increased part-time County Attorney John Campanie's salary from $79,000 to $129,331 - a 63.7 percent raise.'' To put this in perspective, Madison County's part-time attorney now earns more than the full-time county attorneys in Oneida, Herkimer, Monroe and Albany counties.

At a time when Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Attorney General Eric Schneiderman have cut their salaries by 5 percent and most other public employees' salaries have remained stagnant, it is suspicious that County Supervisor John Becker would approve such a massive pay raise for a part-time public attorney. Sadly, this pay increase is another example of the Madison County Board of Supervisors enabling their part-time county attorney to use his public office to enrich himself personally at the expense of Madison County residents.

Last year, in attempt to end corrupt billing practices by the county attorney, two Oneida Nation employees filed suit against Campanie for collecting more than $800,000 from the county over 13 years. The lawsuit also exposed that the county attorney was receiving $500 a month from Madison County taxpayers to fund his own private law office - which is in Oneida County."

Get the Story:
Dan Smith: Oneida Nation disputes benefit for Madison County's part-time attorney (The Syracuse Post-Standard 6/18)