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NEW YORK, NY — Comptroller John C. Liu today announced the appointment of veteran journalist Peter Thorne to the position of Communications Director, effective March 26.

“Peter is an award-winning, veteran journalist with a deep understanding of New York City and its many diverse communities,” Comptroller Liu said.  “The energy and insight he brings from his two decades in broadcast journalism will be enormous assets to this office.”

“I am very much looking forward to informing New Yorkers about the important work of the Comptroller’s Office such as increasing transparency and eliminating wasteful spending by City agencies,” Thorne said. “I have always considered a large part of my career as a journalist to be a form of public service and this new position allows me to continue that public service in a whole new way.”

Before joining Comptroller Liu’s office, Peter Thorne was an anchor and reporter for 10 years with WPIX TV.  In one of his first assignments for the station he reported from Lower Manhattan on the aftermath of the September 11th terror attacks.  He is the recipient of three Emmy awards for Best Government Reporting, Best Journalistic Enterprise Reporting, and Best Hard News Reporting, in addition to multiple honors from the Associated Press.  Prior to WPIX, Thorne was a news anchor and reporter at KCOP TV in Los Angeles, and a national correspondent for Court TV.  He is a graduate of Yale University.

As Communications Director, Thorne will report to Deputy Comptroller for Public Affairs Ari Hoffnung.

Cathy Hanson, who preceded Thorne as Communications Director, has taken an expanded role as advisor to the First Deputy Comptroller Ricardo Morales on policy matters.