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Lawmakers Approve Special Investigator for Dirschberger Matter

Erie County lawmakers unanimously approved a resolution, which calls for hiring an outside, special counsel to investigate allegations of repeated sexual harassment made against former Social Services Commissioner Al Dirschberger.
WGRZ

BUFFALO, NY- Erie County Legislator Joe Lorigo (R) introduced a resolution on Thursday, requesting that a special counsel investigate claims made against the county stemming from former Social Services Commissioner Al Dirschberger’s rape indictment.

However, he did not expect the resolution to be considered at the regularly scheduled meeting of the Legislature, because it was filed “under suspension”. That means it was clocked in after the deadline for Thursday’s meeting, and would only be considered if no other lawmaker objected.

Lorigo told reporters that prior to the meeting, that Legislature Chairman Peter Savage (D) informed him he would object to bringing the motion to the floor, effectively killing it for now.

Savage not only allowed the resolution to move forward, but then voted for it as part of its unanimous approval.

Savage later told 2 on Your Side Lorigo’s call for the investigation mirrored one he was preparing to introduce.

In a news conference prior to the session, Lorigo also stated that there are e-mails which indicate possible bad behavior on the part of Dirschberger, prior to his hiring by Erie County executive Mark Poloncarz in 2015.

"We need to know who knew what and when," said Lorigo.

Poloncarz asked for and received Dirschberger’s resignation in late December, when allegations surfaced that he had raped a female subordinate while on county business in Albany.

In January, Dirschberger was formally charged by police, after being indicted by an an Albany County grand jury.

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