PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Most of the news that state Treasurer Frank Caprio is making these days is on the campaign trail as a candidate for governor, but he has nonetheless hired a new $73,605-a-year "public information officer'' for his office at the State House.

Two weeks ago, he put former Channel 6 anchor and news director Dave Layman on his staff in the state treasury office to fill the hole left by the recent departure of his former press secretary, Tim Gray, who left last month to concentrate on his Emmy award-winning sideline: the making of World War II documentaries.

In recent years, Layman has done public relations consulting and been a frequent panelist on the state-run Channel 36 TV political talk show "Lively Experiment."

In an interview in his unadorned new office at the State House, Layman said he "took himself'' off "Lively Experiment" after taking the job in Democrat Caprio's office,
for the final four months of his first and last term as state treasurer.

As to what might happen after that, should Caprio win the election, Layman said he has no expectations.

Layman worked at Channel 10 from 1973 to 1977 and then left the market for jobs in Dallas and Columbus, Ohio, before returning to Rhode Island as anchor and news director at Channel 6 from 1983-93.

Among his first jobs as Caprio's new spokesman: to find out and disclose who AFL-CIO president George Nee brought to the State House on Thursday to meet Caprio personally about a potential state investment. The meeting fell on the day after the AFL-CIO interviewed candidates in the governor's race for a potential endorsement next month. Layman said he would endeavor to find out.