Newport Grand owner files complaint against anti-casino group
By Paul Grimaldi
NEWPORT, R.I. — The owner of the Newport Grand slots parlor says an anti-casino group accepted illegal campaign contributions during the 2012 election season that included two gambling expansion questions for voters.
In a letter filed Wednesday with the state Board of Elections campaign finance unit, Newport Grand owner Diane Hurley asserts that the Citizens Concerned About Casino Gambling lobbied for defeat of a 2012 gambling referendum after its corporate charter was revoked in April of that year.
“As such, [the group] was accepting campaign contributions illegally, and using them to make illegal campaign expenditures as an unchartered and unlawful entity,” Hurley wrote in her letter to Richard Thornton, of the campaign finance unit. Hurley went on to note the R.I. secretary of state had issued the group registration revocation notices repeatedly since 1996.
“This evasiveness, combined with their acceptance of campaign contributions from out-of-state and foreign addresses, further calls into question the legality of the 2012 results,” Hurley wrote.
Rhode Island voters that year approved allowing table games such as blackjack and roulette to operate in the state. While voters in Lincoln approved adding table games to Twin River, those in Newport rejected the games for Newport Grand.
“I question whether an election result achieved through such unlawful means can be deemed legitimate by the State of Rhode Island,” Hurley wrote.
It’s unclear whether state law requires groups such as Citizens Concerned to have an active state registration. Robert Kando, the election board’s executive director, said the agency comments only on cases in which it finds a violation to have occurred.
Newport Grand once again seeks to add table games to its facility on Admiral Kalbfus Road. Adding the games would allow Hurley to move forward with selling the gambling hall to an investment group headed by former Providence mayor Joseph Paolino. Paolino’s group has said it will not complete its purchase, or undertake a promised renovation to Newport Grand, if voters in November reject table games for the facility.
A representative of the anti-casino group said Hurley’s letter is just another election-season smoke screen put up by Paolino’s investment group.
“Jobs for Newport can copy and paste as many frivolous complaint letters as they want, but we know that these antics won’t distract Newport voters from the real issues facing Newport voters on November 4 — the stability of our city’s economy,” said Liz Taber, of Citizens Concerned.
“Newporters shouldn’t trust a corporation that was created in January to mislead the General Assembly and voters and who lobbied behind the scenes to illegally take away our right to vote on the local ballot.”
Paolino and his two casino project partners formed Jobs for Newport as a limited liability company in 2014.
On Friday, Jobs for Newport called on the anti-casino group to return approximately $30,000 in campaign money it collected during 2012 as it sought to block gambling expansion in Newport.
The dust-up over campaign finances follows sniping about an announcement by the casino investors group that it would build a seasonal performance structure and an ice skating rink on the Newport Grand property if voters approve table games.
On the day of that announcement workers covered the much-derided Newport Grand “SLOTS” sign with a rendering of a planned addition to the metal-shed building.
The anti-casino group labeled the new sign a “publicity stunt” intended to “mislead and distract” voters.
In a letter filed Wednesday with the state Board of Elections campaign finance unit, Newport Grand owner Diane Hurley asserts that the Citizens Concerned About Casino Gambling lobbied for defeat of a 2012 gambling referendum after its corporate charter was revoked in April of that year.
“As such, [the group] was accepting campaign contributions illegally, and using them to make illegal campaign expenditures as an unchartered and unlawful entity,” Hurley wrote in her letter to Richard Thornton, of the campaign finance unit. Hurley went on to note the R.I. secretary of state had issued the group registration revocation notices repeatedly since 1996.
“This evasiveness, combined with their acceptance of campaign contributions from out-of-state and foreign addresses, further calls into question the legality of the 2012 results,” Hurley wrote.
Rhode Island voters that year approved allowing table games such as blackjack and roulette to operate in the state. While voters in Lincoln approved adding table games to Twin River, those in Newport rejected the games for Newport Grand.
“I question whether an election result achieved through such unlawful means can be deemed legitimate by the State of Rhode Island,” Hurley wrote.
It’s unclear whether state law requires groups such as Citizens Concerned to have an active state registration. Robert Kando, the election board’s executive director, said the agency comments only on cases in which it finds a violation to have occurred.
Newport Grand once again seeks to add table games to its facility on Admiral Kalbfus Road. Adding the games would allow Hurley to move forward with selling the gambling hall to an investment group headed by former Providence mayor Joseph Paolino. Paolino’s group has said it will not complete its purchase, or undertake a promised renovation to Newport Grand, if voters in November reject table games for the facility.
A representative of the anti-casino group said Hurley’s letter is just another election-season smoke screen put up by Paolino’s investment group.
“Jobs for Newport can copy and paste as many frivolous complaint letters as they want, but we know that these antics won’t distract Newport voters from the real issues facing Newport voters on November 4 — the stability of our city’s economy,” said Liz Taber, of Citizens Concerned.
“Newporters shouldn’t trust a corporation that was created in January to mislead the General Assembly and voters and who lobbied behind the scenes to illegally take away our right to vote on the local ballot.”
Paolino and his two casino project partners formed Jobs for Newport as a limited liability company in 2014.
On Friday, Jobs for Newport called on the anti-casino group to return approximately $30,000 in campaign money it collected during 2012 as it sought to block gambling expansion in Newport.
The dust-up over campaign finances follows sniping about an announcement by the casino investors group that it would build a seasonal performance structure and an ice skating rink on the Newport Grand property if voters approve table games.
On the day of that announcement workers covered the much-derided Newport Grand “SLOTS” sign with a rendering of a planned addition to the metal-shed building.
The anti-casino group labeled the new sign a “publicity stunt” intended to “mislead and distract” voters.
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