Stevie Masterton: I hit rock bottom when gambling addiction cost me chance to take on Man United
Gordon Parks, Sunday Mail
STEVIE MASTERTON tuned into Crawley Town's fairytale FA Cup tie with Manchester United last season and was forced to confront a nightmare.
It was the moment he accepted his gambling problem had robbed him of the chance to play the Premiership giants at Old Trafford.
What should have been the highlight of his move from Morton to the cash-rich Conference side had been shattered by addiction.
After returning home to Ayrshire this summer, having been released by the side recently promoted into the English League, the midfielder is attempting to rebuild a career ravaged by a self-destructive battle to beat the bookies.
Masterton, 26, said: "I'm not the first player to admit my weaknesses but hopefully this is a fresh start now I have told my own story of what gambling has cost me.
"I'll never forget when I hit rock bottom. It arrived as I sat at home in Crawley watching my club play against Man United at Old Trafford.
"I should have been there on the pitch with my team-mates as I was perfectly fit and part of the squad but just wasn't taken to the game.
"There I was sitting on my couch and realising the chaos my life was in through gambling and it was a heavy price.
"But now my focus is on repairing the damage my addiction has caused."
The former Kilmarnock trainee paid tribute to his partner Rachel and insists the recent arrival of his first child has changed him for the better.
He added: "I've been going to Gamblers Anonymous. That has allowed me to ask myself just what I have been doing with my life during the past 10 years.
"It's time to start asking myself questions and facing up to things.
"There are hundreds of players who have been in my position but there is only a small percentage who do anything about it.
"I don't want to look back on my career and be haunted by the regret that if my attitude was better then I would have done well.
"My partner Rachel gave birth to our son Charlie nine weeks ago and it takes something as life changing as that for the penny to finally drop. It's about providing for other people now. My life isn't just all about me.
"I can't allow myself to be selfish any more. My life off the park has been the biggest cause of where I am now. I've been a daft wee boy. But being a father has changed me."
Despite seeking out help for his problems in the early days of his move south, Masterton insists his desperate pleas fell on deaf ears.
He said: "I've been trying to get off the betting for about two years now. I went in to see the Crawley manager Steve Evans to try to tell him that I was struggling.
"I had suffered a relapse when I moved to England and I decided to confide in him. So I walked into his office to tell him.
"From that moment I felt as though he held it against me and that was the end of my career with the club. I was shipped out on loan to Eastbourne Borough.
"If I had been in a better mindset I could have made a success of the move down south as it was a massive chance for me.
"The manager will say he tried to help me to a certain degree but as soon as he was aware there were weaknesses in my mentality he drove me into the ground at a time when I was looking for support."
The prospects of getting back on track in Scotland are bleaker than ever with a record amount of players out of work but Masterton believes whoever takes a chance on him will get the benefit of a player clear of the baggage of his past.
He said: "I have been clear of the gambling for a while now.
"I believe I have a lot to offer and I'm willing to play for peanuts to show that.
"I'm in much better shape in every aspect of my life. I've lost loads of weight through working on my own and given myself a head start by going on runs and doing gym work."
Gambling within the football profession remains an almost taboo subject despite several high-profile stars attempting to raise the issue through their own experiences.
But Masterton is refusing to hide away from a problem which sees many suffering in silence.
He said: "Gambling is a problem and Hearts striker Kevin Kyle is someone I know and he has gone out of his way to highlight his experiences of the addiction. I used to travel through to training at Morton with Allan Jenkins who is Kevin's mate and he used to phone him most mornings.
"Kevin used to provide gambling tale after gambling tale for us in the car. There is even a 34-year-old ex-professional player who attends the GA meetings.
"He is still living in the past and living with regrets and I don't want to be in that position when I'm 34.
"The gambling is the biggest factor I want to shed from my life and I want to stay in Scotland and play again.
"A big move to England isn't of interest to me. I may yet have the chance to earn big money but it could lead to going down the same path and I'd end up losing it all."
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Gambling Embezzlement at Fort Gillem, Ga.Crime Lab
Beyond missteps, military crime lab roils with discontent
By MARISA TAYLOR
McClatchy Newspapers
The military's premier crime lab should be a place of sober scientific research, but lately it seems more like the set of a soap opera consumed with scandal and intrigue.
In less than four years, at least six internal investigations have been launched and six complaints filed against managers. The accusations and counter-accusations include racism, sexual harassment, assault and fraud.
Amid the upheaval and finger-pointing, a lab analyst was convicted of embezzling almost $70,000 from a professional association to pay for his gambling addiction.
At one point, misconduct by an employee prompted an FBI search of one of the lab's offices. The investigation resulted in the arrest of Allen Southmayd, a 63-year-old handwriting expert.
Southmayd had a serious gambling problem, court records indicate. After he joined the lab in 2000, he began to write checks to himself from a professional organization where he served as treasurer. He spent the money from the American Board of Forensic Document Examiners at casinos. In 2007, the group caught on and Southmayd resigned from the lab. He pleaded guilty to embezzling in federal court and was sentenced to probation.
(Michael Doyle and Tish Wells contributed to this report.)
By MARISA TAYLOR
McClatchy Newspapers
The military's premier crime lab should be a place of sober scientific research, but lately it seems more like the set of a soap opera consumed with scandal and intrigue.
In less than four years, at least six internal investigations have been launched and six complaints filed against managers. The accusations and counter-accusations include racism, sexual harassment, assault and fraud.
Amid the upheaval and finger-pointing, a lab analyst was convicted of embezzling almost $70,000 from a professional association to pay for his gambling addiction.
At one point, misconduct by an employee prompted an FBI search of one of the lab's offices. The investigation resulted in the arrest of Allen Southmayd, a 63-year-old handwriting expert.
Southmayd had a serious gambling problem, court records indicate. After he joined the lab in 2000, he began to write checks to himself from a professional organization where he served as treasurer. He spent the money from the American Board of Forensic Document Examiners at casinos. In 2007, the group caught on and Southmayd resigned from the lab. He pleaded guilty to embezzling in federal court and was sentenced to probation.
(Michael Doyle and Tish Wells contributed to this report.)
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Ronnie Gilley Takes Stand in Bingo Corruption Trial
Ronnie Gilley Takes Stand in Bingo Corruption Trial
Reported by: Scott Packard
[video available on link]
MONTGOMERY, Ala, - (WIAT) Several defense attorneys spoke on their way into the federal courthouse Friday-- but there was really just one message.
"He'll have a great task to try to convince people to believe him," Senator Quinton Ross' attorney, Lewis Gills said as he and his client made their way inside.“Ronnie's a con, he's dishonest, he's not trustworthy. That's not the last time you are going to hear that." Milton McGregor's attorney, Joe Espy said minutes later.
Attorneys for some of the major players in the federal corruption case say the government's star witness simply can't be trusted.
Ronnie Gilley, developer of the now defunct Country Crossing bingo casino in Houston County, has admitted he bribed lawmakers in an attempt to pass pro gambling legislation.
Friday Gilley testified he worked with Senator Harri Anne Smith to filter money into her campaign. In exchange, Gilley says Smith agreed to support the bill.
Prosecutors spent a lot of time trying to link Gilley's admitted crimes to Victoryland owner Milton McGregor.
Gilley testified he worked with McGregor in an attempt to buy the favorable vote of Senator Scott Beason. They didn't know Beason was recording the conversations as part of an FBI investigation.
Gilley says both he and McGregor were willing to do whatever it took to get Beason on board. They're claims McGregor’s attorney strongly disputes.
"He's selling. It's like he's at a carnival. wait until we get to him," Espy said.
The prosecution says they will finish questioning Gilley Monday morning. Defense attorneys are expected to being cross examination that afternoon.
Reported by: Scott Packard
[video available on link]
MONTGOMERY, Ala, - (WIAT) Several defense attorneys spoke on their way into the federal courthouse Friday-- but there was really just one message.
"He'll have a great task to try to convince people to believe him," Senator Quinton Ross' attorney, Lewis Gills said as he and his client made their way inside.“Ronnie's a con, he's dishonest, he's not trustworthy. That's not the last time you are going to hear that." Milton McGregor's attorney, Joe Espy said minutes later.
Attorneys for some of the major players in the federal corruption case say the government's star witness simply can't be trusted.
Ronnie Gilley, developer of the now defunct Country Crossing bingo casino in Houston County, has admitted he bribed lawmakers in an attempt to pass pro gambling legislation.
Friday Gilley testified he worked with Senator Harri Anne Smith to filter money into her campaign. In exchange, Gilley says Smith agreed to support the bill.
Prosecutors spent a lot of time trying to link Gilley's admitted crimes to Victoryland owner Milton McGregor.
Gilley testified he worked with McGregor in an attempt to buy the favorable vote of Senator Scott Beason. They didn't know Beason was recording the conversations as part of an FBI investigation.
Gilley says both he and McGregor were willing to do whatever it took to get Beason on board. They're claims McGregor’s attorney strongly disputes.
"He's selling. It's like he's at a carnival. wait until we get to him," Espy said.
The prosecution says they will finish questioning Gilley Monday morning. Defense attorneys are expected to being cross examination that afternoon.
Churches Weigh-in On Casino Gambling Bill
Southwest News-Herald - City
By NADA SHAMAH
A hot topic that lawmakers in the state of Illinois have been arguing recently is whether to add to the number of casinos in the state.
The bill being discussed is one that asks for the addition of casinos in the city of Chicago, as well as Lake County, and placing gaming machines in both Midway and O’Hare airports.
The idea is to offset the huge debt that has hit the state over the past few years and to alleviate a deficit that is now in the billions.
Gov. Pat Quinn has been given a bill that he has called “top heavy” because, according to Quinn, it asks for too many casinos.
Quinn has said that the people of Illinois did not elect him to cater to the gamblers of the state but to arrive at meaningful solutions on major issues for all residents.
But what does having more casinos mean for the people of Illinois, and what problems would they bring for those in the religious sector?
Many religions regard gambling as a sin.
The Quran teaches to abstain on “games of chance” that will not benefit the gambler but bring more harm than good.
Although the Bible does not consider gambling a major sin, many leaders of faith say the idea of casinos will prove detrimental to the health and spirit of the people of the state.
Pastor Luis Ruiz of Rios de Agua Viva, 6132 S. Kedzie Ave., says that the idea of adding more casinos to the state will not alleviate the financial crisis.
He says that adding more casinos will increase addiction to gambling and harm the youth who see casinos as a fun-filled place to be.
“Gambling is addictive no matter how you dress it up,” said Ruiz. “In my opinion, more casinos will lead to a high rate of crime (and) prostitution, and misdemeanors will increase.
“People will turn to the wrong ways to help feed their addiction.”
Ruiz says that if elected officials can come up with all the money needed to open these casinos, they can come up with meaningful solutions to help save the state financially.
“The money they are spending should go towards forming a group that can analyze the financial situation and come up with programs that can benefit everyone,” Ruiz said.
Ruiz says that there needs to be more organizations that educate the people of the state.
He says that if people were taught to be financially responsible, there would not be a financial crisis.
“We need to take a deeper, more profound look at what the problem is,” he said.
He adds that the state of Illinois spends $25,000 to $30,000 a year on a prison inmate, but says if right and wrong was taught early, the number of people in prison would not be so high.
Ruiz says that the solution to every problem is bringing God back in everyone’s life and home.
Pastor Ricky Guyton, of Body of Christ Church, 5246 S. Western Ave., says that he is against the idea of adding more casinos to the state to help with the financial deficit.
Guyton says that the state’s original idea to use the Illinois Lottery to offset the cost of education did not necessarily work as planned, and educational institutions did not get all the funds that they had thought they would from the lottery.
“Gambling and casinos will ultimately harm those in our communities who suffer from addiction,” Guyton said. “There will be people out there who have an addiction and will use whatever funds they have saved towards gambling at the new casinos.”
He says that the casinos would negatively affect those who are low-income.
“It is ridiculous to think that casinos will be the solution to the financial crisis in the state,” he said.
Guyton says that everyone has a responsibility to budget their lifestyle and not spend more than they have.
He says lawmakers are no exception.
“I must budget in my household to see what to spend and when to spend,” he said. “Our elected officials must do the same.”
“God is the answer,” Ruiz said. “Everything else remains an artificial solution to the problem.”
Southwest News-Herald - City
By NADA SHAMAH
A hot topic that lawmakers in the state of Illinois have been arguing recently is whether to add to the number of casinos in the state.
The bill being discussed is one that asks for the addition of casinos in the city of Chicago, as well as Lake County, and placing gaming machines in both Midway and O’Hare airports.
The idea is to offset the huge debt that has hit the state over the past few years and to alleviate a deficit that is now in the billions.
Gov. Pat Quinn has been given a bill that he has called “top heavy” because, according to Quinn, it asks for too many casinos.
Quinn has said that the people of Illinois did not elect him to cater to the gamblers of the state but to arrive at meaningful solutions on major issues for all residents.
But what does having more casinos mean for the people of Illinois, and what problems would they bring for those in the religious sector?
Many religions regard gambling as a sin.
The Quran teaches to abstain on “games of chance” that will not benefit the gambler but bring more harm than good.
Although the Bible does not consider gambling a major sin, many leaders of faith say the idea of casinos will prove detrimental to the health and spirit of the people of the state.
Pastor Luis Ruiz of Rios de Agua Viva, 6132 S. Kedzie Ave., says that the idea of adding more casinos to the state will not alleviate the financial crisis.
He says that adding more casinos will increase addiction to gambling and harm the youth who see casinos as a fun-filled place to be.
“Gambling is addictive no matter how you dress it up,” said Ruiz. “In my opinion, more casinos will lead to a high rate of crime (and) prostitution, and misdemeanors will increase.
“People will turn to the wrong ways to help feed their addiction.”
Ruiz says that if elected officials can come up with all the money needed to open these casinos, they can come up with meaningful solutions to help save the state financially.
“The money they are spending should go towards forming a group that can analyze the financial situation and come up with programs that can benefit everyone,” Ruiz said.
Ruiz says that there needs to be more organizations that educate the people of the state.
He says that if people were taught to be financially responsible, there would not be a financial crisis.
“We need to take a deeper, more profound look at what the problem is,” he said.
He adds that the state of Illinois spends $25,000 to $30,000 a year on a prison inmate, but says if right and wrong was taught early, the number of people in prison would not be so high.
Ruiz says that the solution to every problem is bringing God back in everyone’s life and home.
Pastor Ricky Guyton, of Body of Christ Church, 5246 S. Western Ave., says that he is against the idea of adding more casinos to the state to help with the financial deficit.
Guyton says that the state’s original idea to use the Illinois Lottery to offset the cost of education did not necessarily work as planned, and educational institutions did not get all the funds that they had thought they would from the lottery.
“Gambling and casinos will ultimately harm those in our communities who suffer from addiction,” Guyton said. “There will be people out there who have an addiction and will use whatever funds they have saved towards gambling at the new casinos.”
He says that the casinos would negatively affect those who are low-income.
“It is ridiculous to think that casinos will be the solution to the financial crisis in the state,” he said.
Guyton says that everyone has a responsibility to budget their lifestyle and not spend more than they have.
He says lawmakers are no exception.
“I must budget in my household to see what to spend and when to spend,” he said. “Our elected officials must do the same.”
“God is the answer,” Ruiz said. “Everything else remains an artificial solution to the problem.”
Former minister defends his role in 'casino case'
Former minister defends his role in 'casino case'
By Raed Omari
AMMAN - A former tourism minister involved in the so-called casino file has denied that the deal cost the country any funds, dismissing as baseless accusations of corruption.
Osama Dabbas, who was a member of Prime Minister Marouf Bakhit’s 2007 Cabinet has taken the defensive lately, supported by members of his tribe, who allege the former official is likely to be a “scapegoat” in the case.
Dabbas told The Jordan Times over phone that he decided to break his silence after MP Khalil Atiyyeh gave statements to a local website, pointing to Dabbas by name as being behind the deal, which triggered public anger as it was reported it could have cost the country hundreds of millions as a penalty for scrapping the deal after one week of signing it.
“Till the moment I left office, there was no such penalty in the agreement,” which was signed with a British company that planned to build a casino on the shores of the Dead Sea.
The government of Nader Dahabi, who succeeded Bakhit in December 2007, said that they had spared JD1.4 million by renegotiating the deal with the investor. It was reported then that the company was compensated with large plots of lands before the file was closed.
“Bakhit, in his capacity as the incumbent prime minister, has said recently that Jordan incurred nothing as a result of the deal, so why are these people talking about huge fines?” Dabbas said Saturday.
The former official said that the Cabinet on December 6 decided to suspend the casino agreement, noting “the government did that on fears that the Islamists will vote ‘nay’ for the government if it goes to the Lower House with the deal”.
When Bakhit became prime minister for the second time in February, he said the case will be among the first files to be checked in official probes of suspected corruption. He soon referred the file to the Anti-Corruption Commission before the Lower House insisted that the case was constitutionally under its jurisdiction and started an investigation all over. Weeks later, they announced that former ministers were implicated but stopped short of naming any suspect. Atiyyeh headed the investigation panel.
The world over, the same flimsy and erroneous reasons are used:
He added that there was a consensus among all ministers that the deal would contribute to enhancing the tourism sector and generate revenues to the treasury.
By Raed Omari
AMMAN - A former tourism minister involved in the so-called casino file has denied that the deal cost the country any funds, dismissing as baseless accusations of corruption.
Osama Dabbas, who was a member of Prime Minister Marouf Bakhit’s 2007 Cabinet has taken the defensive lately, supported by members of his tribe, who allege the former official is likely to be a “scapegoat” in the case.
Dabbas told The Jordan Times over phone that he decided to break his silence after MP Khalil Atiyyeh gave statements to a local website, pointing to Dabbas by name as being behind the deal, which triggered public anger as it was reported it could have cost the country hundreds of millions as a penalty for scrapping the deal after one week of signing it.
“Till the moment I left office, there was no such penalty in the agreement,” which was signed with a British company that planned to build a casino on the shores of the Dead Sea.
The government of Nader Dahabi, who succeeded Bakhit in December 2007, said that they had spared JD1.4 million by renegotiating the deal with the investor. It was reported then that the company was compensated with large plots of lands before the file was closed.
“Bakhit, in his capacity as the incumbent prime minister, has said recently that Jordan incurred nothing as a result of the deal, so why are these people talking about huge fines?” Dabbas said Saturday.
The former official said that the Cabinet on December 6 decided to suspend the casino agreement, noting “the government did that on fears that the Islamists will vote ‘nay’ for the government if it goes to the Lower House with the deal”.
When Bakhit became prime minister for the second time in February, he said the case will be among the first files to be checked in official probes of suspected corruption. He soon referred the file to the Anti-Corruption Commission before the Lower House insisted that the case was constitutionally under its jurisdiction and started an investigation all over. Weeks later, they announced that former ministers were implicated but stopped short of naming any suspect. Atiyyeh headed the investigation panel.
The world over, the same flimsy and erroneous reasons are used:
He added that there was a consensus among all ministers that the deal would contribute to enhancing the tourism sector and generate revenues to the treasury.
Fighting over crumbs
Leader of firm chosen to run Aqueduct's racino says an Indian casino would put facility out of business
By PAUL POST
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Genting New York LLC, the firm chosen to run Aqueduct’s new racino, says a nearby Indian casino would put its facility out of business.
Belmont Park and Nassau Coliseum are just two potential sites that have been mentioned for a casino run by the Shinnecocks of Eastern Long Island.
The chances of an Indian facility opening are remote because of the various approvals required, but such discussions are a constant source of speculation.
“If the state ever allows a casino at Belmont, you would find a revolt among NYRA (New York Racing Association) and horsemen,” Genting executive Colin Au told a state Franchise Oversight Board that monitors NYRA’s business operations Monday. The board met at the state capitol in Albany.
“Of course, the private sector cannot allow this to happen,” he said.
Last fall, former Gov. David Paterson unveiled an ill-fated plan to have a Wisconsin-based tribe run a casino in the Sullivan County Catskills, near Monticello, only days after Genting paid the state $380 million for the rights to run Aqueduct’s racino. Genting strongly objected to that proposal, which has since died, but is even more emphatic in its opposition to an Indian casino on Long Island, near Aqueduct.
“It would be disastrous,” Au said. “We would probably have to close shop.”
Indian casinos, in just 20 years, have taken over 48 percent of the U.S. gaming market, he said. They have the advantage of paying few if any taxes, which allows them to offer patrons greater incentives such as free lodging.
Indian casinos also have full casino games such as blackjack, poker and roulette that many people prefer instead of slot-like videogames, found in the state’s racinos.
“We are absolutely on a very different level playing field,” Au said. “It’s important for the governor’s office to recognize they should not enter into a compact (with Native Americans).”
By PAUL POST
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Genting New York LLC, the firm chosen to run Aqueduct’s new racino, says a nearby Indian casino would put its facility out of business.
Belmont Park and Nassau Coliseum are just two potential sites that have been mentioned for a casino run by the Shinnecocks of Eastern Long Island.
The chances of an Indian facility opening are remote because of the various approvals required, but such discussions are a constant source of speculation.
“If the state ever allows a casino at Belmont, you would find a revolt among NYRA (New York Racing Association) and horsemen,” Genting executive Colin Au told a state Franchise Oversight Board that monitors NYRA’s business operations Monday. The board met at the state capitol in Albany.
“Of course, the private sector cannot allow this to happen,” he said.
Last fall, former Gov. David Paterson unveiled an ill-fated plan to have a Wisconsin-based tribe run a casino in the Sullivan County Catskills, near Monticello, only days after Genting paid the state $380 million for the rights to run Aqueduct’s racino. Genting strongly objected to that proposal, which has since died, but is even more emphatic in its opposition to an Indian casino on Long Island, near Aqueduct.
“It would be disastrous,” Au said. “We would probably have to close shop.”
Indian casinos, in just 20 years, have taken over 48 percent of the U.S. gaming market, he said. They have the advantage of paying few if any taxes, which allows them to offer patrons greater incentives such as free lodging.
Indian casinos also have full casino games such as blackjack, poker and roulette that many people prefer instead of slot-like videogames, found in the state’s racinos.
“We are absolutely on a very different level playing field,” Au said. “It’s important for the governor’s office to recognize they should not enter into a compact (with Native Americans).”
Ohio leaders pushing laws with no input from people
Ohio leaders pushing laws with no input from people
The Marietta Times
In reading the letter about Israel and God's plan being ignored brings to mind, in my opinion, the current leaders of U.S.A. and Ohio. In return for factory jobs, they pass laws for more ill gotten money by making slot machines legal at racetracks. This will help whose pocketbook? Then to help these gamblers to protect their ill gotten money they now allow these gun toters to carry weapons inside these type establishments. Where is Wyatt Earp and Doc Holiday? Whose constitutional rights are being violated now? This, in my opinion, is just more totalitarianism government and these type laws should be voted on by "we, the people" and not pushed on us by the Republican led Ohio House and Senate.
The bible tells me that this type of living will result in a world war. I'm not going to do the quotes as I'm just a reader not an historian. Yet, what I read seems to be happening in many parts of the world. The government pushed laws with no input from the people have turned the people against the governments. Is the U.S.A. going to be next because our leaders won't listen to "we, the people"? We need good factory jobs for the poor, not more gambling for the rich. Please write these state leaders and ask for good jobs for all these young kids and the poor class.
In God I trust!
Bob McIntyre
Lowell
The Marietta Times
In reading the letter about Israel and God's plan being ignored brings to mind, in my opinion, the current leaders of U.S.A. and Ohio. In return for factory jobs, they pass laws for more ill gotten money by making slot machines legal at racetracks. This will help whose pocketbook? Then to help these gamblers to protect their ill gotten money they now allow these gun toters to carry weapons inside these type establishments. Where is Wyatt Earp and Doc Holiday? Whose constitutional rights are being violated now? This, in my opinion, is just more totalitarianism government and these type laws should be voted on by "we, the people" and not pushed on us by the Republican led Ohio House and Senate.
The bible tells me that this type of living will result in a world war. I'm not going to do the quotes as I'm just a reader not an historian. Yet, what I read seems to be happening in many parts of the world. The government pushed laws with no input from the people have turned the people against the governments. Is the U.S.A. going to be next because our leaders won't listen to "we, the people"? We need good factory jobs for the poor, not more gambling for the rich. Please write these state leaders and ask for good jobs for all these young kids and the poor class.
In God I trust!
Bob McIntyre
Lowell
Alabama: Gilley bought votes
ALABAMA GAMBLING TRIAL
Gilley describes underside of Ala politics
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) A casino developer who pleaded guilty in a vote-buying scheme is describing the underside of Montgomery politics to federal jurors in Alabama's gambling trial.
Country Crossing's Ronnie Gilley testified Friday about giving campaign money to legislators to sway their positions on issues. He says indicted state Senator Harri Ann Smith of Slocomb told him "I'm yours" after he gave her as much as $40,000 in donations.
Gilley says he got millions in loan promises from competitor Milton McGregor and was worried about former Governor Bob Riley listening to his phone calls. Gilley says he and McGregor both used prepaid cell phones so their calls couldn't be traced.
He also says an aide to former Attorney General Troy King advised him to show people in Montgomery "the color of my money."
Gilley describes underside of Ala politics
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) A casino developer who pleaded guilty in a vote-buying scheme is describing the underside of Montgomery politics to federal jurors in Alabama's gambling trial.
Country Crossing's Ronnie Gilley testified Friday about giving campaign money to legislators to sway their positions on issues. He says indicted state Senator Harri Ann Smith of Slocomb told him "I'm yours" after he gave her as much as $40,000 in donations.
Gilley says he got millions in loan promises from competitor Milton McGregor and was worried about former Governor Bob Riley listening to his phone calls. Gilley says he and McGregor both used prepaid cell phones so their calls couldn't be traced.
He also says an aide to former Attorney General Troy King advised him to show people in Montgomery "the color of my money."
Start of gambling corruption trial features plenty of fireworks
A brief recap of the Alabama players was offered:
Start of gambling corruption trial features plenty of fireworks
Beason said he talked with Smith, a fellow state senator, and after a dinner with supporters of Country Crossing he was told they could help him with as much as $500,000 for a future run for lieutenant governor if he supported their effort. Smith said the conversation never happened.
Bobby Segall, attorney for McGregor, pointed out that Beason did not go to the FBI after the $500,000 was mentioned, but only weeks later when he felt he was being blackmailed politically.
A prosecutor played several conversations Beason taped including those with Country Crossing developer Ronnie Gilley and his lobbyist Jarrod Massey.
In a recording at Zoe's Kitchen in Homewood, Massey offers Beason $1 million a year to use for campaigns, which could make him more of a player in state politics, or that he could use personally. Massey said Beason could be paid through a "store front" public relations operation where little was expected of him.
Beason acknowledged taping not just those the FBI instructed him to, but anyone he thought might talk about gambling. Segall accused him of even recording conversations with friends, including Republican political consultant Monica Cooper. He also recorded Randy Brinson of the Christian Coalition of Alabama.
But U.S. Attorney Louis Franklin asked Beason if he knew McGregor was paying Cooper and Brinson. Cooper at the time was the top aide to Senate Republicans. Franklin asked Beason if he knew a company Brinson owned received $300,000 from McGregor.
Ray Crosby, an analyst for the Legislature who was also being paid as a consultant for McGregor, drafted anti-gambling legislation during the time of the alleged conspiracy. Prosecutors have accused Crosby, one of the nine defendants, of drafting legislation that favored McGregor. Beason said he requested a bill in January 2010 that came from Crosby, but that it was worded in a way that did not stop all gambling in the state. He acknowledged that Crosby immediately corrected the error, which he said could have been the product of miscommunication, and had previously drafted legislation for him that would have hurt VictoryLand and other operations.
Beason told the Advertiser on Thursday that he would not talk to the media about his testimony until after the trial was over.
State Rep. Barry Mask, a Wetumpka Republican who also recorded conversations and cooperated with authorities. He told the court he went to the Alabama Department of Public Safety after someone he said was close to McGregor tried to call and buy all 100 of the $50 tickets to a fundraiser he was having.
Mask told the woman handling tickets not to do it and that he did not want gambling money. The man said he would come anyway, which Mask said concerned him because it was about the time of the state raids on gambling facilities. McGregor, who Mask said he had not talked to in at least 18 months, then called and left a message for the legislator two days later. The combination of those events prompted Mask to call an attorney he knew with DPS.
Prosecutors and defense attorneys argued over what Mask could be questioned about during cross-examination. Potential questions included: a comment he made comparing Greene County to a third-world country; his possible connections to the Poarch Band of Creek Indians; a squabble with Rep. Paul Beckman of Prattville over taxes in Elmore County; and about him receiving two government-funded checks, one as a legislator and another for his job at the Elmore County Economic Development Authority.
Mask will continue his testimony Monday.
Start of gambling corruption trial features plenty of fireworks
Beason said he talked with Smith, a fellow state senator, and after a dinner with supporters of Country Crossing he was told they could help him with as much as $500,000 for a future run for lieutenant governor if he supported their effort. Smith said the conversation never happened.
Bobby Segall, attorney for McGregor, pointed out that Beason did not go to the FBI after the $500,000 was mentioned, but only weeks later when he felt he was being blackmailed politically.
A prosecutor played several conversations Beason taped including those with Country Crossing developer Ronnie Gilley and his lobbyist Jarrod Massey.
In a recording at Zoe's Kitchen in Homewood, Massey offers Beason $1 million a year to use for campaigns, which could make him more of a player in state politics, or that he could use personally. Massey said Beason could be paid through a "store front" public relations operation where little was expected of him.
Beason acknowledged taping not just those the FBI instructed him to, but anyone he thought might talk about gambling. Segall accused him of even recording conversations with friends, including Republican political consultant Monica Cooper. He also recorded Randy Brinson of the Christian Coalition of Alabama.
But U.S. Attorney Louis Franklin asked Beason if he knew McGregor was paying Cooper and Brinson. Cooper at the time was the top aide to Senate Republicans. Franklin asked Beason if he knew a company Brinson owned received $300,000 from McGregor.
Ray Crosby, an analyst for the Legislature who was also being paid as a consultant for McGregor, drafted anti-gambling legislation during the time of the alleged conspiracy. Prosecutors have accused Crosby, one of the nine defendants, of drafting legislation that favored McGregor. Beason said he requested a bill in January 2010 that came from Crosby, but that it was worded in a way that did not stop all gambling in the state. He acknowledged that Crosby immediately corrected the error, which he said could have been the product of miscommunication, and had previously drafted legislation for him that would have hurt VictoryLand and other operations.
Beason told the Advertiser on Thursday that he would not talk to the media about his testimony until after the trial was over.
State Rep. Barry Mask, a Wetumpka Republican who also recorded conversations and cooperated with authorities. He told the court he went to the Alabama Department of Public Safety after someone he said was close to McGregor tried to call and buy all 100 of the $50 tickets to a fundraiser he was having.
Mask told the woman handling tickets not to do it and that he did not want gambling money. The man said he would come anyway, which Mask said concerned him because it was about the time of the state raids on gambling facilities. McGregor, who Mask said he had not talked to in at least 18 months, then called and left a message for the legislator two days later. The combination of those events prompted Mask to call an attorney he knew with DPS.
Prosecutors and defense attorneys argued over what Mask could be questioned about during cross-examination. Potential questions included: a comment he made comparing Greene County to a third-world country; his possible connections to the Poarch Band of Creek Indians; a squabble with Rep. Paul Beckman of Prattville over taxes in Elmore County; and about him receiving two government-funded checks, one as a legislator and another for his job at the Elmore County Economic Development Authority.
Mask will continue his testimony Monday.
Lumiere Place Fails to Protect Patrons From Violent Crimes
75-year-old man robbed at gunpoint at downtown St. Louis casino
(KMOV) – St. Louis police are investigating after a 75-year-old man was robbed at gunpoint during a trip to a downtown casino.
The incident happened in the garage at the Lumiere Place casino around 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. The man was getting out of his car inside the Lumiere garage and was headed to the elevator when he felt a gun in his back.
He was robbed of his cash and valuables and pushed out of the elevator. The victim was not seriously injured and police are now questioning two persons of interest in this case.
Casino officials say they're cooperating with police, but News 4 has been investigating police calls to the facility, and this is no isolated incident.
News 4 gave casino managers every chance to tell us why these problems continue to plague customers, but they declined our request.
This is the eighth armed robbery at Lumiere since January. Since January 1, 2011, St. Louis police have been called to the casino for six assaults, eight hold-ups, two strong-armed robberies, six auto thefts and two carjackings.
Security guards can be seen patrolling the grounds, but the crimes continue to add up at the casino.
News 4 compared the number of police calls at Lumiere Place to a similar venue, River City casino. St. Louis County police responded to 453 calls there so far this year, while St. Louis police have only received 232 calls at Lumiere Place. One major difference though, none of the calls to River City were calls for violence.
(KMOV) – St. Louis police are investigating after a 75-year-old man was robbed at gunpoint during a trip to a downtown casino.
The incident happened in the garage at the Lumiere Place casino around 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. The man was getting out of his car inside the Lumiere garage and was headed to the elevator when he felt a gun in his back.
He was robbed of his cash and valuables and pushed out of the elevator. The victim was not seriously injured and police are now questioning two persons of interest in this case.
Casino officials say they're cooperating with police, but News 4 has been investigating police calls to the facility, and this is no isolated incident.
News 4 gave casino managers every chance to tell us why these problems continue to plague customers, but they declined our request.
This is the eighth armed robbery at Lumiere since January. Since January 1, 2011, St. Louis police have been called to the casino for six assaults, eight hold-ups, two strong-armed robberies, six auto thefts and two carjackings.
Security guards can be seen patrolling the grounds, but the crimes continue to add up at the casino.
News 4 compared the number of police calls at Lumiere Place to a similar venue, River City casino. St. Louis County police responded to 453 calls there so far this year, while St. Louis police have only received 232 calls at Lumiere Place. One major difference though, none of the calls to River City were calls for violence.
Friday, June 24, 2011
Gambling Addict: Country club embezzler headed to state prison
A law-abiding 40 year old man with 3 children and no previous criminal record.
Proximity increases Gambling Addiction.
The Business Model for the Slot Barn Industry depends on crating New Gamblers and New Gambling Addicts.
At what cost?
Country club embezzler headed to state prison
NORRISTOWN — A banquet manager's betrayal was like a "punch in the stomach" to his bosses at Sweet Water Country Club and now he's headed to prison for stealing more than $130,000 from the family-run business in Upper Hanover.
Anthony Sisonick III, 40, of Easton, was sentenced in Montgomery County Court on Thursday to one to two years in a state correctional facility after he pleaded guilty to a felony charge of theft by unlawful taking in connection with thefts that occurred between 2008 and 2010 while he was employed as the manager at the Geryville Pike club's banquet facility known as The Loft.
Judge Joseph A. Smyth also ordered Sisonick to complete five years' probation after he's paroled and to pay $132,646 in restitution to the club's owners, Robert and Joan Kolonia.
"We were devastated. It was just a punch in the stomach to find somebody who was very charismatic with the people and did his job well to have looked us straight in the eye and lied and betrayed us. It was really upsetting," said Joan Kolonia, who attended Sisonick's sentencing hearing.
Sisonick, who booked receptions and collected deposits and payments from clients, systematically deposited money given to him by customers, many of them bridal parties, into his personal accounts, according to authorities. Sisonick stole the money to feed a gambling addiction.
"It was pretty outrageous. He stole in a multitude of ways. He would pose as the owner. He would divert money to himself. He would try to get customers to make checks out to him rather than to the country club," alleged Assistant District Attorney Steven Bunn, who sought a prison sentence against Sisonick.
Bunn alleged Sisonick tried to cover up his thefts by applying payments to events incorrectly, which even led to the "double-booking" of some events, causing distress for the club's owners and customers.
"He was just wrecking people's lives all over the place. He was a pretty desperate person in order to feed his gambling problem. This is a defendant who cannot get hold of his demons. This is a defendant so desperate he will go to any lengths to get money," said Bunn, who called the conduct "a great breach of trust."
Kolonia testified Sisonick's betrayal placed a great financial burden on family members, who had to borrow from their personal savings in order to save the business and to fulfill all customer bookings. Kolonia proudly said her family pulled together to save the business and take care of customers.
"We were able to take some of our own monies, as well as our personal savings, to cover the expenses of the events that he had taken all the money from," Kolonia explained, referring to the 42 clients affected by Sisonick's betrayal. "We convinced them that their wedding or their party would go off without a hitch and that we would make sure that it was the special day that they planned for."
"It's been a lot of hard work and a lot of disappointment and upset but we've been able to pull through. We're a family-owned and operated business so we've all pulled together and assured everybody that we are still in business and we will continue to be so. Come and see us," Kolonia added.
An investigation of Sisonick began after club owners uncovered discrepancies in financial records and missing payments and conducted an audit, according to the criminal complaint filed by state police Trooper Daniel Jones, of the Skippack barracks, who investigated the matter.
Sisonick, a married father of three, apologized before learning is fate.
"I'm sorry to all the victims and family involved. I wish this never happened," Sisonick said.
Defense lawyer Patricia Cassidy attempted to keep Sisonick out of state prison by arguing for a county jail sentence. Cassidy added Sisonick has no resources to repay the money because he gambled it away.
"He has no money. He has nothing to show for this," said Cassidy, adding Sisonick has sought treatment through Gambler's Anonymous. "I believe Mr. Sisonick is truly sorry for the aggravation and disruption to the lives of everyone he hurt. He knows he did wrong."
Sisonick was so greedy, Bunn alleged, he even filed for unemployment compensation after he was fired because of the thefts, another insult to the club owners.
"It's like pouring salt into the open wound that he inflicted on them," Bunn said.
Proximity increases Gambling Addiction.
The Business Model for the Slot Barn Industry depends on crating New Gamblers and New Gambling Addicts.
At what cost?
Country club embezzler headed to state prison
NORRISTOWN — A banquet manager's betrayal was like a "punch in the stomach" to his bosses at Sweet Water Country Club and now he's headed to prison for stealing more than $130,000 from the family-run business in Upper Hanover.
Anthony Sisonick III, 40, of Easton, was sentenced in Montgomery County Court on Thursday to one to two years in a state correctional facility after he pleaded guilty to a felony charge of theft by unlawful taking in connection with thefts that occurred between 2008 and 2010 while he was employed as the manager at the Geryville Pike club's banquet facility known as The Loft.
Judge Joseph A. Smyth also ordered Sisonick to complete five years' probation after he's paroled and to pay $132,646 in restitution to the club's owners, Robert and Joan Kolonia.
"We were devastated. It was just a punch in the stomach to find somebody who was very charismatic with the people and did his job well to have looked us straight in the eye and lied and betrayed us. It was really upsetting," said Joan Kolonia, who attended Sisonick's sentencing hearing.
Sisonick, who booked receptions and collected deposits and payments from clients, systematically deposited money given to him by customers, many of them bridal parties, into his personal accounts, according to authorities. Sisonick stole the money to feed a gambling addiction.
"It was pretty outrageous. He stole in a multitude of ways. He would pose as the owner. He would divert money to himself. He would try to get customers to make checks out to him rather than to the country club," alleged Assistant District Attorney Steven Bunn, who sought a prison sentence against Sisonick.
Bunn alleged Sisonick tried to cover up his thefts by applying payments to events incorrectly, which even led to the "double-booking" of some events, causing distress for the club's owners and customers.
"He was just wrecking people's lives all over the place. He was a pretty desperate person in order to feed his gambling problem. This is a defendant who cannot get hold of his demons. This is a defendant so desperate he will go to any lengths to get money," said Bunn, who called the conduct "a great breach of trust."
Kolonia testified Sisonick's betrayal placed a great financial burden on family members, who had to borrow from their personal savings in order to save the business and to fulfill all customer bookings. Kolonia proudly said her family pulled together to save the business and take care of customers.
"We were able to take some of our own monies, as well as our personal savings, to cover the expenses of the events that he had taken all the money from," Kolonia explained, referring to the 42 clients affected by Sisonick's betrayal. "We convinced them that their wedding or their party would go off without a hitch and that we would make sure that it was the special day that they planned for."
"It's been a lot of hard work and a lot of disappointment and upset but we've been able to pull through. We're a family-owned and operated business so we've all pulled together and assured everybody that we are still in business and we will continue to be so. Come and see us," Kolonia added.
An investigation of Sisonick began after club owners uncovered discrepancies in financial records and missing payments and conducted an audit, according to the criminal complaint filed by state police Trooper Daniel Jones, of the Skippack barracks, who investigated the matter.
Sisonick, a married father of three, apologized before learning is fate.
"I'm sorry to all the victims and family involved. I wish this never happened," Sisonick said.
Defense lawyer Patricia Cassidy attempted to keep Sisonick out of state prison by arguing for a county jail sentence. Cassidy added Sisonick has no resources to repay the money because he gambled it away.
"He has no money. He has nothing to show for this," said Cassidy, adding Sisonick has sought treatment through Gambler's Anonymous. "I believe Mr. Sisonick is truly sorry for the aggravation and disruption to the lives of everyone he hurt. He knows he did wrong."
Sisonick was so greedy, Bunn alleged, he even filed for unemployment compensation after he was fired because of the thefts, another insult to the club owners.
"It's like pouring salt into the open wound that he inflicted on them," Bunn said.
Alabama: Gilley takes witness stand
Gilley takes witness stand
County Crossing casino developer Ronnie Gilley has taken the witness stand to testify against his former co-defendants in Alabama's gambling corruption trial.
Gilley sat down on the witness stand late Thursday afternoon in federal court in Montgomery. He is expected to continue testifying Friday.
Gilley was originally among the 11 people indicted on charges of buying and selling votes on pro-gambling legislation. But he pleaded guilty in April to offering millions in bribes to legislators.
Two of his lobbyists have also pleaded guilty and are cooperating with prosecutors.
County Crossing casino developer Ronnie Gilley has taken the witness stand to testify against his former co-defendants in Alabama's gambling corruption trial.
Gilley sat down on the witness stand late Thursday afternoon in federal court in Montgomery. He is expected to continue testifying Friday.
Gilley was originally among the 11 people indicted on charges of buying and selling votes on pro-gambling legislation. But he pleaded guilty in April to offering millions in bribes to legislators.
Two of his lobbyists have also pleaded guilty and are cooperating with prosecutors.
Indicted analyst did not report McGregor income for two years
Indicted analyst did not report McGregor income for two years
Written by
Sebastian Kitchen
Prosecutors charged on Thursday that former legislative analyst Ray Crosby did not report receiving monthly income from casino owner Milton McGregor in 2008 and 2009 until a federal investigation into alleged corruption became public.
Crosby did not originally report the income to the Alabama Ethics Commission, which is required for employees who are paid more than $50,000, in his statements of economic interest he filed for 2008 and 2009.
James Sumner, director of the commission, said on the witness stand on Thursday that Crosby did not report any income outside of his job as an analyst for the Legislative Reference Service for 2008 and 2009 until August 2010, when he filed an addendum to those reports.
Those forms are required for elected officials and public employees who are paid more than $50,000, and require those officials to report income, property and debt for them and their spouses.
“To have other sources of income related to their state work would be a conflict of interest,” Sumner said.
Crosby was paid more than $160,000 as an analyst working with state lawmakers to draft proposed legislation.
In his addendum, Crosby reported receiving less than $1,000 from Chevron USA Inc. and between $10,000 and $50,000 from the “MCGP,” the Macon County Greyhound Park. McGregor operates the greyhound park.
An accountant for McGregor, Lynn Byrd, testified Thursday that she wrote and McGregor signed 24 checks for $3,000 to Crosby. He received $3,000 each month from May 2008 through April 2010.
Federal authorities made the investigation into alleged vote buying in the Alabama Legislature public in April 2010.
McGregor and Crosby are among the nine defendants in a federal corruption trial accusing them and alleged coconspirators of offering or soliciting bribes to vote for pro-gambling legislation.
Written by
Sebastian Kitchen
Prosecutors charged on Thursday that former legislative analyst Ray Crosby did not report receiving monthly income from casino owner Milton McGregor in 2008 and 2009 until a federal investigation into alleged corruption became public.
Crosby did not originally report the income to the Alabama Ethics Commission, which is required for employees who are paid more than $50,000, in his statements of economic interest he filed for 2008 and 2009.
James Sumner, director of the commission, said on the witness stand on Thursday that Crosby did not report any income outside of his job as an analyst for the Legislative Reference Service for 2008 and 2009 until August 2010, when he filed an addendum to those reports.
Those forms are required for elected officials and public employees who are paid more than $50,000, and require those officials to report income, property and debt for them and their spouses.
“To have other sources of income related to their state work would be a conflict of interest,” Sumner said.
Crosby was paid more than $160,000 as an analyst working with state lawmakers to draft proposed legislation.
In his addendum, Crosby reported receiving less than $1,000 from Chevron USA Inc. and between $10,000 and $50,000 from the “MCGP,” the Macon County Greyhound Park. McGregor operates the greyhound park.
An accountant for McGregor, Lynn Byrd, testified Thursday that she wrote and McGregor signed 24 checks for $3,000 to Crosby. He received $3,000 each month from May 2008 through April 2010.
Federal authorities made the investigation into alleged vote buying in the Alabama Legislature public in April 2010.
McGregor and Crosby are among the nine defendants in a federal corruption trial accusing them and alleged coconspirators of offering or soliciting bribes to vote for pro-gambling legislation.
Alabama: Former Rep. Benjamin Lewis testifies about $$$ promises
Former Ala. legislator testifies in gambling trial
By PHILLIP RAWLS
MONTGOMERY, Ala. -- A former Alabama legislator who helped the FBI in its investigation of Statehouse corruption said a casino developer offered to pay for his entire re-election campaign if he supported pro-gambling legislation, and indicted state Sen. Harri Anne Smith told him in a tape-recorded call that the developer was good for the money.
"She was saying that if I voted for the bill, they would raise the money," former Rep. Benjamin Lewis testified in federal court Wednesday.
Lewis spent a second day Wednesday testifying in the trial of Smith and eight others accused of buying and selling votes on legislation designed to protect electronic bingo casinos from raids by Gov. Bob Riley's gambling task force.
Outside the courthouse, Smith said, "I am truly innocent and there are motivations behind these people who are testifying that are truly absurd."
Under questioning by Smith's attorney, Lewis testified that the senator never offered him any money to support the gambling bill and never did anything to get him to take the side of casino developers.
Lewis, now a district judge in Dothan, served in the Alabama House from November 2006 until June 2010, when Riley appointed him to the judgeship. Much of his testimony Wednesday involved Ronnie Gilley, developer of Country Crossing casino in Dothan, who has pleaded guilty to offering bribes to legislators.
Lewis testified that Smith encouraged him to attend a dinner in Montgomery on March 4, 2009, where Gilley was urging some legislators to support his project and the pro-gambling legislation. He said country entertainers John Anderson and Aaron Tippin joined Gilley at the dinner, along with Nashville music executive James Stroud, who was then president of Ronnie Gilley Entertainment.
Lewis said he told Gilley that the best he could do was not criticize the legislation but he would have to vote against the bill because of his opposition to gambling.
He said Gilley then asked how much he spent in his 2006 campaign. Smith said $150,000, but Lewis said it was more like $200,000. Then one of Gilley's lobbyists, Jarrod Massey, said it would take double that amount to run in 2010.
"Ronnie Gilley pointed his finger at James Stroud and said, `He can write you a check for that,'" Lewis testified.
Lewis, a Republican, said he later talked about the dinner with his Montgomery roommate, Republican state Sen. Scott Beason of Gardendale, who was also at the dinner. He said Beason recounted that Smith, a Slocomb independent, had told him that House members could expect $200,000 to $250,000 from gambling supporters for voting for the bill and Senate members could get up to $500,000.
Lewis said he became worried Gilley made an illegal offer and he contacted the Houston County sheriff, who put him in touch with the FBI. He soon became the first of three legislators who helped the FBI in its investigation of Statehouse corruption.
On March 24, 2009, the FBI recorded Lewis as he called Smith to get her views about the promise of campaign funds. On the tape, Smith said she didn't believe Gilley had the money in hand yet to build Country Crossing, but she thought he would keep his offer to provide campaign support if Lewis voted for the bill.
"I believe that they will raise the money," Smith said on the tape.
She was also recorded saying that if she voted for the bill, she didn't plan to take any campaign money from Gilley. "I'm keeping him from giving it to somebody else," she said on the tape.
Two days later, Lewis called Gilley while he was in the hospital being treated for pneumonia and talked about the pro-gambling bill. In the conversation recorded by the FBI, Gilley told Lewis, "The level of support you've been getting ain't a drop in the bucket to what you'll get."
Outside the courthouse, Smith's attorney, Jim Parkman, said Lewis was helping the FBI for political gain.
"There is no doubt he was doing things for the Republican Party and Governor Riley," Parkman said.
But under questioning by attorneys, Lewis said the judgeship he got through appointment by the governor didn't become vacant until a year after he began helping the FBI.
In addition to Smith, the defendants are VictoryLand casino owner Milton McGregor; McGregor lobbyists Tom Coker and Bob Geddie; former Sens. Larry Means and Jim Preuitt; current Sen. Quinton Ross; former Country Crossing spokesman Jay Walker; and former legislative employee Ray Crosby.
Attorneys say the trial, which is in its third week, will last several more weeks.
By PHILLIP RAWLS
MONTGOMERY, Ala. -- A former Alabama legislator who helped the FBI in its investigation of Statehouse corruption said a casino developer offered to pay for his entire re-election campaign if he supported pro-gambling legislation, and indicted state Sen. Harri Anne Smith told him in a tape-recorded call that the developer was good for the money.
"She was saying that if I voted for the bill, they would raise the money," former Rep. Benjamin Lewis testified in federal court Wednesday.
Lewis spent a second day Wednesday testifying in the trial of Smith and eight others accused of buying and selling votes on legislation designed to protect electronic bingo casinos from raids by Gov. Bob Riley's gambling task force.
Outside the courthouse, Smith said, "I am truly innocent and there are motivations behind these people who are testifying that are truly absurd."
Under questioning by Smith's attorney, Lewis testified that the senator never offered him any money to support the gambling bill and never did anything to get him to take the side of casino developers.
Lewis, now a district judge in Dothan, served in the Alabama House from November 2006 until June 2010, when Riley appointed him to the judgeship. Much of his testimony Wednesday involved Ronnie Gilley, developer of Country Crossing casino in Dothan, who has pleaded guilty to offering bribes to legislators.
Lewis testified that Smith encouraged him to attend a dinner in Montgomery on March 4, 2009, where Gilley was urging some legislators to support his project and the pro-gambling legislation. He said country entertainers John Anderson and Aaron Tippin joined Gilley at the dinner, along with Nashville music executive James Stroud, who was then president of Ronnie Gilley Entertainment.
Lewis said he told Gilley that the best he could do was not criticize the legislation but he would have to vote against the bill because of his opposition to gambling.
He said Gilley then asked how much he spent in his 2006 campaign. Smith said $150,000, but Lewis said it was more like $200,000. Then one of Gilley's lobbyists, Jarrod Massey, said it would take double that amount to run in 2010.
"Ronnie Gilley pointed his finger at James Stroud and said, `He can write you a check for that,'" Lewis testified.
Lewis, a Republican, said he later talked about the dinner with his Montgomery roommate, Republican state Sen. Scott Beason of Gardendale, who was also at the dinner. He said Beason recounted that Smith, a Slocomb independent, had told him that House members could expect $200,000 to $250,000 from gambling supporters for voting for the bill and Senate members could get up to $500,000.
Lewis said he became worried Gilley made an illegal offer and he contacted the Houston County sheriff, who put him in touch with the FBI. He soon became the first of three legislators who helped the FBI in its investigation of Statehouse corruption.
On March 24, 2009, the FBI recorded Lewis as he called Smith to get her views about the promise of campaign funds. On the tape, Smith said she didn't believe Gilley had the money in hand yet to build Country Crossing, but she thought he would keep his offer to provide campaign support if Lewis voted for the bill.
"I believe that they will raise the money," Smith said on the tape.
She was also recorded saying that if she voted for the bill, she didn't plan to take any campaign money from Gilley. "I'm keeping him from giving it to somebody else," she said on the tape.
Two days later, Lewis called Gilley while he was in the hospital being treated for pneumonia and talked about the pro-gambling bill. In the conversation recorded by the FBI, Gilley told Lewis, "The level of support you've been getting ain't a drop in the bucket to what you'll get."
Outside the courthouse, Smith's attorney, Jim Parkman, said Lewis was helping the FBI for political gain.
"There is no doubt he was doing things for the Republican Party and Governor Riley," Parkman said.
But under questioning by attorneys, Lewis said the judgeship he got through appointment by the governor didn't become vacant until a year after he began helping the FBI.
In addition to Smith, the defendants are VictoryLand casino owner Milton McGregor; McGregor lobbyists Tom Coker and Bob Geddie; former Sens. Larry Means and Jim Preuitt; current Sen. Quinton Ross; former Country Crossing spokesman Jay Walker; and former legislative employee Ray Crosby.
Attorneys say the trial, which is in its third week, will last several more weeks.
Casino suit cites BIA lawyers' impropriety
For further details of this pathetic saga, check out: Citizens Against Casino Gambling in Erie County
Casino suit cites lawyers' impropriety
By Phil Fairbanks
News Staff Reporter
An "intimate personal relationship" between a high-ranking government lawyer and a Seneca Nation lawyer tainted the federal government's approval of a casino in downtown Buffalo, according to new court papers.
The allegations by casino opponents, outlined in papers filed Thursday, suggest the relationship is part of a larger and "unmistakable picture of egregious bad faith and improper conduct ... at the highest levels" of government.
The papers were filed as part of a lawsuit seeking to end gambling at the Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino. Plaintiffs are asking a federal judge to order the release of documents previously withheld by the government.
"It smells," said John J. LaFalce, a former congressman and member of the group suing to stop the casino. "It stinks to high heaven."
The group, Citizens Against Casino Gambling in Erie County, is alleging that a personal relationship between Edith R. Blackwell, a lawyer in the Department of the Interior, and Michael Rossetti, a private lawyer representing the Senecas, resulted in a serious conflict of interest.
Their relationship, according to court papers, "infected" the integrity of the government process that led to approval of the Buffalo casino.
The papers accuse Blackwell of removing herself from the Seneca review process and later reinserting herself into it. They also suggest Blackwell was the principal drafter of a 2009 legal opinion that supported the downtown casino.
"She recused herself and then unrecused herself," said LaFalce.
Rossetti could not be reached to comment, and Blackwell referred all questions to an Interior Department spokeswoman. The Senecas also declined to comment.
"The Department of the Interior and the Office of the Solicitor comply with all government ethics laws and did so in this case," said spokeswoman Kate Kelly. "Through the Department of Justice, we will be filing appropriate responsive pleadings with the court in this matter."
The allegations against Blackwell and Rossetti center around what court papers describe as a personal relationship that has grown increasingly intimate over the years.
"She owns a home with him," LaFalce said. "She lives with him. She holds a joint checking account with him."
Court papers also point to a series of Interior Department e-mails to suggest that Blackwell intervened on the Senecas' behalf despite recusing herself from the review.
"The imputed conflict of interest is clear," the papers state. "The appearance of serious impropriety is obvious."
The court papers are not the first time Rossetti has been criticized by casino opponents.
A Buffalo native, he was a Republican political appointee who, before joining Akin Gump, the Senecas' Washington D.C.-based lobbying firm, served as counsel to then-Interior Secretary Gale A. Norton.
When Norton expressed concern over the casino deal, government officials said it was Rossetti who helped push it through.
In 2004, a former Interior official told The News it was Rossetti who suggested that Norton simply let the casino deal take effect without her formal approval.
"It was always just his idea," said Wayne Smith, deputy assistant interior secretary at the time. "He never said somebody wanted it done."
More than a year later, Rossetti joined Akin Gump.
From Day One, Interior officials have argued that Rossetti and the department did nothing wrong.
"We adhered to our process," an Interior spokesman said in 2002, "and a review will show that we ... did nothing inappropriate."
The plaintiffs' court papers suggest otherwise.
They point to a 2006 report by Inspector General Earl E. Devaney, who found an "institutional culture of managerial irresponsibility and lack of accountability" at Interior.
"He's the one who said, 'short of a crime, anything goes,'" said LaFalce. "I think Gale Norton just held her nose and let it happen."
With those allegations in mind, LaFalce's group will ask U.S. District Judge William M. Skretny to force the government to release documents and information it has so far refused to disclose.
"It would be good," LaFalce said, "to know who was saying what."
In court papers, the citizens group suggests that Interior improperly withheld documents as part of what LaFalce called a coverup.
"The emerging facts," the papers state, "paint an unmistakable picture of egregious bad faith and improper conduct, including conflicts of interest and the clear appearance (at a minimum) of impropriety, partiality and favoritism at the highest levels."
The allegations against Blackwell and Rossetti are the latest chapter in a lawsuit that dates back to 2006 and challenges the federal government's issuance of a gambling ordinance that allowed a small downtown casino to open a year later.
They also come just a week after Seneca President Robert Odawi Porter announced plans to build a larger casino downtown. For nearly three years, a rusting steel framework of a casino has sat idle on Seneca-owned land near Michigan and South Park avenues.
The Senecas scrapped the $333 million project in 2008, citing the lawsuit and financial issues. The nation currently operates a small slot machine-only facility at the site.
Casino suit cites lawyers' impropriety
By Phil Fairbanks
News Staff Reporter
An "intimate personal relationship" between a high-ranking government lawyer and a Seneca Nation lawyer tainted the federal government's approval of a casino in downtown Buffalo, according to new court papers.
The allegations by casino opponents, outlined in papers filed Thursday, suggest the relationship is part of a larger and "unmistakable picture of egregious bad faith and improper conduct ... at the highest levels" of government.
The papers were filed as part of a lawsuit seeking to end gambling at the Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino. Plaintiffs are asking a federal judge to order the release of documents previously withheld by the government.
"It smells," said John J. LaFalce, a former congressman and member of the group suing to stop the casino. "It stinks to high heaven."
The group, Citizens Against Casino Gambling in Erie County, is alleging that a personal relationship between Edith R. Blackwell, a lawyer in the Department of the Interior, and Michael Rossetti, a private lawyer representing the Senecas, resulted in a serious conflict of interest.
Their relationship, according to court papers, "infected" the integrity of the government process that led to approval of the Buffalo casino.
The papers accuse Blackwell of removing herself from the Seneca review process and later reinserting herself into it. They also suggest Blackwell was the principal drafter of a 2009 legal opinion that supported the downtown casino.
"She recused herself and then unrecused herself," said LaFalce.
Rossetti could not be reached to comment, and Blackwell referred all questions to an Interior Department spokeswoman. The Senecas also declined to comment.
"The Department of the Interior and the Office of the Solicitor comply with all government ethics laws and did so in this case," said spokeswoman Kate Kelly. "Through the Department of Justice, we will be filing appropriate responsive pleadings with the court in this matter."
The allegations against Blackwell and Rossetti center around what court papers describe as a personal relationship that has grown increasingly intimate over the years.
"She owns a home with him," LaFalce said. "She lives with him. She holds a joint checking account with him."
Court papers also point to a series of Interior Department e-mails to suggest that Blackwell intervened on the Senecas' behalf despite recusing herself from the review.
"The imputed conflict of interest is clear," the papers state. "The appearance of serious impropriety is obvious."
The court papers are not the first time Rossetti has been criticized by casino opponents.
A Buffalo native, he was a Republican political appointee who, before joining Akin Gump, the Senecas' Washington D.C.-based lobbying firm, served as counsel to then-Interior Secretary Gale A. Norton.
When Norton expressed concern over the casino deal, government officials said it was Rossetti who helped push it through.
In 2004, a former Interior official told The News it was Rossetti who suggested that Norton simply let the casino deal take effect without her formal approval.
"It was always just his idea," said Wayne Smith, deputy assistant interior secretary at the time. "He never said somebody wanted it done."
More than a year later, Rossetti joined Akin Gump.
From Day One, Interior officials have argued that Rossetti and the department did nothing wrong.
"We adhered to our process," an Interior spokesman said in 2002, "and a review will show that we ... did nothing inappropriate."
The plaintiffs' court papers suggest otherwise.
They point to a 2006 report by Inspector General Earl E. Devaney, who found an "institutional culture of managerial irresponsibility and lack of accountability" at Interior.
"He's the one who said, 'short of a crime, anything goes,'" said LaFalce. "I think Gale Norton just held her nose and let it happen."
With those allegations in mind, LaFalce's group will ask U.S. District Judge William M. Skretny to force the government to release documents and information it has so far refused to disclose.
"It would be good," LaFalce said, "to know who was saying what."
In court papers, the citizens group suggests that Interior improperly withheld documents as part of what LaFalce called a coverup.
"The emerging facts," the papers state, "paint an unmistakable picture of egregious bad faith and improper conduct, including conflicts of interest and the clear appearance (at a minimum) of impropriety, partiality and favoritism at the highest levels."
The allegations against Blackwell and Rossetti are the latest chapter in a lawsuit that dates back to 2006 and challenges the federal government's issuance of a gambling ordinance that allowed a small downtown casino to open a year later.
They also come just a week after Seneca President Robert Odawi Porter announced plans to build a larger casino downtown. For nearly three years, a rusting steel framework of a casino has sat idle on Seneca-owned land near Michigan and South Park avenues.
The Senecas scrapped the $333 million project in 2008, citing the lawsuit and financial issues. The nation currently operates a small slot machine-only facility at the site.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Prison parole officer: the [Gambling] addiction was just overpowering
Prison parole officer pleads guilty to breach of trust while on the job
By SUE YANAGISAWA, THE WHIG-STANDARD
A prison parole officer, suspended without pay from his job at Frontenac Institution since early January, when he was charged with criminal breach of trust and with counselling to commit an indictable offence, has pleaded guilty to one of the charges.
Michael Lawrence, 44, had his sentencing suspended. He was placed on probation for 20 months Friday, after he pleaded guilty in Kingston's Ontario Court of Justice to a single count of breach of trust, committed when he took $17,500 from an inmate -- a transaction that Lawrence characterized as a loan.
Belleville Crown attorney Lee Burgess, who was brought in to prosecute the case, withdrew the companion charge, however, which derived from the same inmate's claim that Lawrence tried to involve him in a conspiracy to kill his ex-wife and plant drugs on her and her boyfriend.
Lawrence told Justice Rommel Masse he was emphatically denying having proposed either crime.
The judge ordered Lawrence, while on probation, to participate in any assessment, counselling or treatment directed by his probation officer, especially counselling or treatment for his admitted gambling addiction. Masse added anger-management counselling on Burgess's suggestion and "in view of the acrimony that's been going on between you and your ex since 2008."
Burgess told Masse that Ontario Provincial Police were contacted by prison administrators late last year about the inmate's accusations. The man had come into contact with Lawrence as the result of his conviction in January 2009 on 15 counts of investment fraud in the Burlington- Oakville area. He'd swindled an estimated $3 million and was serving a 39-month sentence.
Burgess said the inmate told police he was being pressured by Lawrence for money and that Lawrence had told him he needed the cash because of expenses he'd incurred trying to gain custody of his young son.
Masse was told that the inmate arranged an initial transfer of $2,500 through Western Union, but Burgess said it went through in the name of one of Lawrence's co-workers, a man who, according to defence lawyer Peter Kemp, had discussed starting a business with the inmate after he was released from prison.
It had been agreed, the defence lawyer said, that his client was going to repay the inmate's money to that business.
Lawrence received a subsequent sum of $15,000 from the inmate while he was on a pass to Windsor, according to police investigators, but a later demand for $27,000 wasn't honoured.
During his interview with police, Burgess said, the inmate claimed that Lawrence had expressed great animosity toward his ex-wife, talked about having her killed and asked him to plant drugs to give her and her boy - friend the appearance of involvement in the drug subculture.
To assist him in setting them up, he said, Lawrence gave him personal information about both of them, including his ex-wife's address.
Masse was told that following his arrest, Lawrence admitted taking money from the inmate, but said it was to pay a gambling debt. Likewise, Burgess said, he confirmed that he'd given his inmate accuser information about his ex-wife and her boyfriend, but he said it was to have them "checked out" by one of the inmate's contacts.
No explanation was offered in court about what he'd meant by "checked out," but the prosecutor observed that it showed "at the very least, he used this inmate to try to get information" on his former partner.
In the end, however, Burgess conceded that the Crown was not in a position to prove the inmate's accusations with regard to anything but the money.
Kemp told the judge his client spent three nights in "the hole at Quinte" Detention Centre, where his background placed him in a precarious position in relation to the other prisoners.
Immediately after making bail, Masse was told, he sought out a program in Windsor to help with his gambling addiction and continues in counselling locally.
Kemp disclosed that Lawrence also found other full-time employment and now works as a carpenter for a local building company.
Given an opportunity to speak, the former parole officer told the judge, "I apologize for the actions of borrowing money," repeated that he's not guilty of plotting against his ex-wife and added, "I sincerely apologize for letting my addiction get the better of me."
Masse asked the nature of his gambling, whether he was betting at casinos or the track and Lawrence told him casinos.
"What were you thinking?" the judge asked pointedly.
Lawrence replied: "All I can say is, at the time, the addiction was just overpowering, I guess."
Both Kemp and Burgess joined in recommending that Lawrence's sentencing be suspended, but they diverged on probation. Kemp urged the judge to impose no more than a year of supervision on his client, observing that Law rence's bail conditions over the past 5 1/2months have been very strict. Burgess recommended 24 months of probation, arguing that supervision will help ensure that he continues to deal with his gambling problem.
He told Masse that he would have asked for jail except that "this is not a situation where the public purse has been defrauded."
Masse, in handing down sentence, said he appreciated that the Crown would have faced problems in prosecuting Lawrence without his guilty plea, chief among them the credibility of its key witness.
He told Lawrence by pleading guilty, "you've saved the public a considerable expenditure."
Masse also observed that while Correctional Service Canada has not officially fired him yet, "it's almost a certainty you'll be terminated."
Given the nature of the crime and Lawrence's self-professed gambling addiction, the judge said, "I'm of the view that 12 months is too short," but added 24 months might be more than is needed, settling on 20 months of probation.
During that time, Masse ordered that Lawrence not enter the property of any casino or race track. He additionally forbid him visiting online gambling sites. He's forbidden, as well, from communicating with his ex-wife, and must stay 200 metres away from her, her home, her work and place of education or training.
By SUE YANAGISAWA, THE WHIG-STANDARD
A prison parole officer, suspended without pay from his job at Frontenac Institution since early January, when he was charged with criminal breach of trust and with counselling to commit an indictable offence, has pleaded guilty to one of the charges.
Michael Lawrence, 44, had his sentencing suspended. He was placed on probation for 20 months Friday, after he pleaded guilty in Kingston's Ontario Court of Justice to a single count of breach of trust, committed when he took $17,500 from an inmate -- a transaction that Lawrence characterized as a loan.
Belleville Crown attorney Lee Burgess, who was brought in to prosecute the case, withdrew the companion charge, however, which derived from the same inmate's claim that Lawrence tried to involve him in a conspiracy to kill his ex-wife and plant drugs on her and her boyfriend.
Lawrence told Justice Rommel Masse he was emphatically denying having proposed either crime.
The judge ordered Lawrence, while on probation, to participate in any assessment, counselling or treatment directed by his probation officer, especially counselling or treatment for his admitted gambling addiction. Masse added anger-management counselling on Burgess's suggestion and "in view of the acrimony that's been going on between you and your ex since 2008."
Burgess told Masse that Ontario Provincial Police were contacted by prison administrators late last year about the inmate's accusations. The man had come into contact with Lawrence as the result of his conviction in January 2009 on 15 counts of investment fraud in the Burlington- Oakville area. He'd swindled an estimated $3 million and was serving a 39-month sentence.
Burgess said the inmate told police he was being pressured by Lawrence for money and that Lawrence had told him he needed the cash because of expenses he'd incurred trying to gain custody of his young son.
Masse was told that the inmate arranged an initial transfer of $2,500 through Western Union, but Burgess said it went through in the name of one of Lawrence's co-workers, a man who, according to defence lawyer Peter Kemp, had discussed starting a business with the inmate after he was released from prison.
It had been agreed, the defence lawyer said, that his client was going to repay the inmate's money to that business.
Lawrence received a subsequent sum of $15,000 from the inmate while he was on a pass to Windsor, according to police investigators, but a later demand for $27,000 wasn't honoured.
During his interview with police, Burgess said, the inmate claimed that Lawrence had expressed great animosity toward his ex-wife, talked about having her killed and asked him to plant drugs to give her and her boy - friend the appearance of involvement in the drug subculture.
To assist him in setting them up, he said, Lawrence gave him personal information about both of them, including his ex-wife's address.
Masse was told that following his arrest, Lawrence admitted taking money from the inmate, but said it was to pay a gambling debt. Likewise, Burgess said, he confirmed that he'd given his inmate accuser information about his ex-wife and her boyfriend, but he said it was to have them "checked out" by one of the inmate's contacts.
No explanation was offered in court about what he'd meant by "checked out," but the prosecutor observed that it showed "at the very least, he used this inmate to try to get information" on his former partner.
In the end, however, Burgess conceded that the Crown was not in a position to prove the inmate's accusations with regard to anything but the money.
Kemp told the judge his client spent three nights in "the hole at Quinte" Detention Centre, where his background placed him in a precarious position in relation to the other prisoners.
Immediately after making bail, Masse was told, he sought out a program in Windsor to help with his gambling addiction and continues in counselling locally.
Kemp disclosed that Lawrence also found other full-time employment and now works as a carpenter for a local building company.
Given an opportunity to speak, the former parole officer told the judge, "I apologize for the actions of borrowing money," repeated that he's not guilty of plotting against his ex-wife and added, "I sincerely apologize for letting my addiction get the better of me."
Masse asked the nature of his gambling, whether he was betting at casinos or the track and Lawrence told him casinos.
"What were you thinking?" the judge asked pointedly.
Lawrence replied: "All I can say is, at the time, the addiction was just overpowering, I guess."
Both Kemp and Burgess joined in recommending that Lawrence's sentencing be suspended, but they diverged on probation. Kemp urged the judge to impose no more than a year of supervision on his client, observing that Law rence's bail conditions over the past 5 1/2months have been very strict. Burgess recommended 24 months of probation, arguing that supervision will help ensure that he continues to deal with his gambling problem.
He told Masse that he would have asked for jail except that "this is not a situation where the public purse has been defrauded."
Masse, in handing down sentence, said he appreciated that the Crown would have faced problems in prosecuting Lawrence without his guilty plea, chief among them the credibility of its key witness.
He told Lawrence by pleading guilty, "you've saved the public a considerable expenditure."
Masse also observed that while Correctional Service Canada has not officially fired him yet, "it's almost a certainty you'll be terminated."
Given the nature of the crime and Lawrence's self-professed gambling addiction, the judge said, "I'm of the view that 12 months is too short," but added 24 months might be more than is needed, settling on 20 months of probation.
During that time, Masse ordered that Lawrence not enter the property of any casino or race track. He additionally forbid him visiting online gambling sites. He's forbidden, as well, from communicating with his ex-wife, and must stay 200 metres away from her, her home, her work and place of education or training.
Gambling addiction: Maryland trails only California and Nevada
Gambling addiction: Maryland trails only California and Nevada
By Kim Chi Ha
A hundred dollars worth of pennies dispensing from a slot machine — the adrenaline rush of taking a risk and winning. But as with every high, there comes a risk. And in Maryland, about 150,000 adults — one in 30 — have a gambling problem, according to a recent study by the University of Maryland Baltimore County.
Maryland's addiction rate trails only California and Nevada, beating six other states surveyed, reports the Washington Post. The study also predicted the rate would continue to rise before leveling off.
“It is a major part of the population, but it’s within the national range,” said Judith Shinogle, the project head in an interview with the Post. “If you think about Maryland’s proximity to New Jersey and New York City, this is not out of range.”
African Americans and Hispanics, ages 18 to 29, with lower income and less education than the general population were the most at risk group.
The state's foray into casinos only began last September, when the first slot machine casino opened. Currently only two of the anticipated five have opened, with the state expecting to legalize table games later this year.
Neighboring West Virginia, Delaware and Pennsylvania though, not included in the survey, already have 18 casinos with table games.
By Kim Chi Ha
A hundred dollars worth of pennies dispensing from a slot machine — the adrenaline rush of taking a risk and winning. But as with every high, there comes a risk. And in Maryland, about 150,000 adults — one in 30 — have a gambling problem, according to a recent study by the University of Maryland Baltimore County.
Maryland's addiction rate trails only California and Nevada, beating six other states surveyed, reports the Washington Post. The study also predicted the rate would continue to rise before leveling off.
“It is a major part of the population, but it’s within the national range,” said Judith Shinogle, the project head in an interview with the Post. “If you think about Maryland’s proximity to New Jersey and New York City, this is not out of range.”
African Americans and Hispanics, ages 18 to 29, with lower income and less education than the general population were the most at risk group.
The state's foray into casinos only began last September, when the first slot machine casino opened. Currently only two of the anticipated five have opened, with the state expecting to legalize table games later this year.
Neighboring West Virginia, Delaware and Pennsylvania though, not included in the survey, already have 18 casinos with table games.
Illinois: Gambling bill not going to governor yet
Gambling bill not going to governor yet
By Dave McKinney
SPRINGFIELD — A parliamentary hold Senate President John Cullerton placed on legislation that would authorize a Chicago casino could stay in place through the fall, the top Senate Democrat said Wednesday.
“There’s no sense in giving it to him to veto it,” Cullerton told reporters.
By Dave McKinney
SPRINGFIELD — A parliamentary hold Senate President John Cullerton placed on legislation that would authorize a Chicago casino could stay in place through the fall, the top Senate Democrat said Wednesday.
“There’s no sense in giving it to him to veto it,” Cullerton told reporters.
How Casino Money Trumps Law in Buffalo
Interesting article about complex Tribal Gaming issues, worth reading in its entirety:
The Smoking Gun: How Casino Money Trumps Law in Buffalo
What follows was intended to be Bruce Fisher’s column for next week’s print paper. But yesterday, the parties in a lawsuit against the federal government arguing that the Seneca casino in downtown Buffalo is illegal—this is their third lawsuit; they’ve won the first two—filed new court papers containing a shocking allegation: The girlfriend of an attorney for the Washington, DC firm that represents the Seneca Gaming Corporation was instrumental in changing the US Department of the Interior’s interpretation of federal law that favors the continued existence of the Seneca casino downtown. So we thought we’d go ahead with Bruce’s piece today.
Also, check out:
CITIZENS AGAINST CASINO GAMBLING IN ERIE COUNTY
The Smoking Gun: How Casino Money Trumps Law in Buffalo
What follows was intended to be Bruce Fisher’s column for next week’s print paper. But yesterday, the parties in a lawsuit against the federal government arguing that the Seneca casino in downtown Buffalo is illegal—this is their third lawsuit; they’ve won the first two—filed new court papers containing a shocking allegation: The girlfriend of an attorney for the Washington, DC firm that represents the Seneca Gaming Corporation was instrumental in changing the US Department of the Interior’s interpretation of federal law that favors the continued existence of the Seneca casino downtown. So we thought we’d go ahead with Bruce’s piece today.
Also, check out:
CITIZENS AGAINST CASINO GAMBLING IN ERIE COUNTY
Crime and Gambling
Interesting comment on an unrelated topic. Not sure how statistically accurate, but it's perception:
Tales From The Road: Omaha
Every state I have driven through has casino gambling except for Texas. Obviously gambling brings crime with it because Oklahoma and Kansas consistently lead the nation in violent crimes.
Tales From The Road: Omaha
Every state I have driven through has casino gambling except for Texas. Obviously gambling brings crime with it because Oklahoma and Kansas consistently lead the nation in violent crimes.
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