Daniel, others plea in casino case
Donors say they’re not guilty of charges
A Fort Dodge businessman and leaders of a Dubuque-based casino company pleaded not guilty Friday to charges that they illegally funneled donations to the re-election campaign of Gov. Chet Culver.
Steve Daniel pleaded not guilty to charges of making a campaign contribution in the name of another and willful failure to disclose a campaign contribution.
Daniel was the leader of Webster County Entertainment when the group was working with Peninsula Gaming LLC to create the Diamond Jo Fort Dodge. That casino plan was killed in May when the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission declined to issue the license needed to open the venue.
Phone calls seeking comment from Daniel and his attorney, Monty Fisher, of Fort Dodge, were not returned Friday.
In addition to Daniel, Brent Stevens, the chief executive officer of Peninsula; Jonathan Swain, Peninsula's chief operating officer; and Curt Beason, an attorney from Davenport who was advising the casino planners; entered not guilty pleas to campaign finance violations. Beason also pleaded not guilty to a charge of obstruction. He was the only one charged with that crime.
Also, not guilty pleas were entered for Webster County Entertainment and Peninsula Gaming. Both entities were charged with making a campaign contribution in the name of another and willful failure to disclose a campaign contribution.
Guy Cook, the Des Moines attorney representing Stevens, Swain and the casino company, had said earlier this month that his clients would plead not guilty.
''Peninsula Gaming and its company executives adhere to the highest standards of ethical compliance,'' he said on Oct.11.
Special Prosecutor Lawrence Scalise filed all the charges on Oct. 11 after probing $25,000 worth of donations made to Culver's re-election campaign late last year.
Those donations were made by Daniel and two of his associates in Webster County Entertainment, Jim Kesterson and Merrill Leffler Jr. Kesterson and Leffler, both of Fort Dodge, were not charged with any crimes.
The donations were made not long after Peninsula Gaming paid the three $25,000 as a consulting fee.
Because the not guilty pleas were filed, an arraignment scheduled for Monday in Polk County District Court will be canceled. A trial date hasn't been set.
Showing posts with label Fort Dodge. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fort Dodge. Show all posts
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Iowa: Charges filed in Iowa casino investigation
Charges filed in Iowa casino investigation
DES MOINES, Iowa
A special prosecutor has filed charges against four people and two gambling entities after an investigation into campaign contributions made to Iowa Gov. Chet Culver by gaming interests in Webster County.
Special Counsel Lawrence F. Scalise says he filed the charges Monday in Polk County District Court.
Martin Brent Stevens, Jonathan Swain, Steve Daniel and Curtis Beason, as well Peninsula Gaming Partners LLC and Webster County Entertainment were charged with violating campaign disclosure laws. Beason faces an additional count of obstruction.
Attorney General Tom Miller appointed Scalise in July after questions were raised about campaign contributions from a group seeking a state license to operate a casino in Fort Dodge.
Scalise says there is no evidence of wrongdoing by anyone other than those named, apparently clearing Culver of any involvement.
Telephone messages left for Stevens, Swain and Beason were not immediately returned. A listing for Daniel couldn't be immediately located.
DES MOINES, Iowa
A special prosecutor has filed charges against four people and two gambling entities after an investigation into campaign contributions made to Iowa Gov. Chet Culver by gaming interests in Webster County.
Special Counsel Lawrence F. Scalise says he filed the charges Monday in Polk County District Court.
Martin Brent Stevens, Jonathan Swain, Steve Daniel and Curtis Beason, as well Peninsula Gaming Partners LLC and Webster County Entertainment were charged with violating campaign disclosure laws. Beason faces an additional count of obstruction.
Attorney General Tom Miller appointed Scalise in July after questions were raised about campaign contributions from a group seeking a state license to operate a casino in Fort Dodge.
Scalise says there is no evidence of wrongdoing by anyone other than those named, apparently clearing Culver of any involvement.
Telephone messages left for Stevens, Swain and Beason were not immediately returned. A listing for Daniel couldn't be immediately located.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Corruption Investigation
Casino donation probe is costing state
By TOM WITOSKY
The investigation into the legality of a $25,000 contribution to Gov. Chet Culver's re-election campaign by Fort Dodge casino interests intensified in July.
Invoices filed with the state by special prosecutor Larry Scalise show he spent 39.8 hours on the investigation in June and 63 hours in July, compared with 44 hours in May.
Scalise declined to comment on the status of the investigation.
Members of the state's Executive Council are expected today to approve the payment of $8,224 in legal bills submitted by Scalise for his work on the investigation during June and July.
That would raise the total amount spent on Scalise's legal services to $11,728.
Scalise, who was appointed to the prosecutor's position after Attorney General Tom Miller decided his staff would have the appearance of a conflict of interests, is attempting to determine whether there should be criminal prosecution of any of the parties involved for donating or accepting the contributions made last fall.
If so, Scalise could file charges or present the case to a grand jury.
Scalise's invoices indicate he is centering his investigation on whether Peninsula Gaming of Dubuque paid money to three Webster County casino supporters with the intention that the money be contributed to Culver's re-election campaign.
The bills show Scalise has spent most of his time meeting with investigators from the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, as well as analyzing and reviewing various material collected in the investigation.
It is illegal in Iowa to make or knowingly receive a political contribution in the name of another person or interest group.
Peninsula, the Fort Dodge casino group and Culver have said they did nothing wrong.
Peninsula Gaming had agreed to finance 80 percent of the proposed Fort Dodge casino project if it had been approved.
The state Racing and Gaming Commission rejected the bid in May after intense lobbying by Fort Dodge residents in support of a license.
DCI agents noticed that the company had paid Steve Daniel, James Kesterson and Merrill D. Leffler, partners in Webster County Gaming, $25,000 last fall, and that the three had combined to contribute that much to Culver.
Daniel has said he and his partners were paid by Peninsula for helping lead the company to the Fort Dodge project and for handling local duties in the application process.
He has said they contributed to Culver because of his support for northwestern Iowa.
Peninsula officials have said their payment to the Webster County group was meant to defray legal costs incurred in the effort to get the casino project approved.
Guy Cook, a Des Moines attorney representing Peninsula, acknowledged he met with Scalise for about an hour June 16.
"I advised him of my representation of Peninsula Gaming and that we stood ready to cooperate with the investigation," Cook said, adding that he had a general discussion with Scalise about the situation. "Part of my discussion was that there was no wrongdoing on the part of Peninsula Gaming."
By TOM WITOSKY
The investigation into the legality of a $25,000 contribution to Gov. Chet Culver's re-election campaign by Fort Dodge casino interests intensified in July.
Invoices filed with the state by special prosecutor Larry Scalise show he spent 39.8 hours on the investigation in June and 63 hours in July, compared with 44 hours in May.
Scalise declined to comment on the status of the investigation.
Members of the state's Executive Council are expected today to approve the payment of $8,224 in legal bills submitted by Scalise for his work on the investigation during June and July.
That would raise the total amount spent on Scalise's legal services to $11,728.
Scalise, who was appointed to the prosecutor's position after Attorney General Tom Miller decided his staff would have the appearance of a conflict of interests, is attempting to determine whether there should be criminal prosecution of any of the parties involved for donating or accepting the contributions made last fall.
If so, Scalise could file charges or present the case to a grand jury.
Scalise's invoices indicate he is centering his investigation on whether Peninsula Gaming of Dubuque paid money to three Webster County casino supporters with the intention that the money be contributed to Culver's re-election campaign.
The bills show Scalise has spent most of his time meeting with investigators from the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, as well as analyzing and reviewing various material collected in the investigation.
It is illegal in Iowa to make or knowingly receive a political contribution in the name of another person or interest group.
Peninsula, the Fort Dodge casino group and Culver have said they did nothing wrong.
Peninsula Gaming had agreed to finance 80 percent of the proposed Fort Dodge casino project if it had been approved.
The state Racing and Gaming Commission rejected the bid in May after intense lobbying by Fort Dodge residents in support of a license.
DCI agents noticed that the company had paid Steve Daniel, James Kesterson and Merrill D. Leffler, partners in Webster County Gaming, $25,000 last fall, and that the three had combined to contribute that much to Culver.
Daniel has said he and his partners were paid by Peninsula for helping lead the company to the Fort Dodge project and for handling local duties in the application process.
He has said they contributed to Culver because of his support for northwestern Iowa.
Peninsula officials have said their payment to the Webster County group was meant to defray legal costs incurred in the effort to get the casino project approved.
Guy Cook, a Des Moines attorney representing Peninsula, acknowledged he met with Scalise for about an hour June 16.
"I advised him of my representation of Peninsula Gaming and that we stood ready to cooperate with the investigation," Cook said, adding that he had a general discussion with Scalise about the situation. "Part of my discussion was that there was no wrongdoing on the part of Peninsula Gaming."
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