Pataki names three to N.Y. panel

New York Gov. George Pataki has selected two longtime government officials and an attorney as his three appointments to a five-member oversight board charged with monitoring the activities of the New York Racing Association, Pataki announced Monday.

The appointees are Carole E. Stone, a former director of the New York State Division of the Budget, who was also appointed chair of the board; George C. Sinnott, a former commissioner of the New York State Department of Civil Service; and Timothy B. Thornton, an attorney at the Albany law firm McNamee, Lochner, Titus and Williams, P.C.

The board, created by legislation supported by Pataki, will have the power to review and approve a wide number of NYRA activities. It will replace, in part, a federally appointed monitoring firm, Getnick and Getnick, which has overseen NYRA since early in 2004. Getnick and Getnick was appointed as part of a deferred prosecution agreement that NYRA reached with the U.S. attorney's office to avoid indictment on charges related to tax fraud in its mutuel department.

Last week, Sen. Joseph Bruno, the state Senate majority leader, appointed Joseph Torani, a Saratoga businessman, to the board. The final appointment is reserved for Rep. Sheldon Silver, the state House majority leader.