By JIMMY LAWTON

The government organization conducting an investigation into St. Lawrence County District Mary Rain will not say how long it could take to complete.

In an emailed response, Chief Attorney Monica Duffy, who responded on behalf of the Attorney Grievance Committee for the Third Judicial Department, said that law mandates that all records related to the investigation remain confidential.

The committee is allegedly investigating a variety of complaints filed against Rain by colleagues in the county, but details on exactly what has been submitted to the committee remains unclear.

“As we previously advised, all papers, records, and documents upon any complaint, inquiry, investigation or proceeding relating to the conduct or discipline of an attorney are sealed and deemed private and confidential pursuant to Judiciary Law §90(10),” Duffy wrote.

“In addition, in accordance with the new Rules for Attorney Disciplinary Matters, Rule 22 NYCRR section 1240.18(a) and (b) specifically mandates that all disciplinary investigations and proceedings shall be kept confidential by Court personnel, Committee members, staff and their agents.”

While typically such proceedings and investigations are private, Gov. Andrew Cuomo and other officials have spoken publicly about this particular investigation. To date, no one has been able to provide even a general idea as to how long this process will take.

In regard to the timeframe of the investigation, Duffy said all complaints of professional misconduct are “reviewed and determined as expeditiously as practicable.”

The lengthy investigation has prompted calls to expedite the investigation from the District Attorney’s Association of New York. It has also contributed to calls from Sen. John Defrancisco, R-Syracuse, to establish an oversight committee that could investigate complaints made against district attorneys in a timely manner.