Thoubboron v. Convery

—In an action to recover damages for defamation, the defendant Peter Convery appeals from an order of the Supreme Court, Putnam County *522(Hickman, J.), dated February 27, 2002, which denied his motion pursuant to CPLR 3211 (a) (7) to dismiss the complaint for failure to state a cause of action.

Ordered that the order is affirmed, with costs.

The plaintiff, the former sheriff of Putnam County, commenced this action to recover damages for an allegedly defamatory statement made by the defendant Peter Convery (hereinafter the defendant) in a press release published in a local newspaper. In the press…