Governor Deval Patrick said this morning that he does not meet with gambling lobbyists, but one of his top political advisers and closest confidants is a registered lobbyist for a gambling equipment company. “I don’t take contributions from gaming interests,” Patrick said. “I haven’t engaged with any of the gaming lobbyists and so on. That’s a very complicated issue and so I’ve got staff who are dealing with that directly.”Is the Governor lying, confused or misinformed? It is a very complicated issue if you are easily confused or misinformed - which if we grant that the Governor doesn't lie, then he must be easily confused or seriously misinformed about who he's meeting with and from whom he's raising money.
The Massachusetts Secretary of State tracks all registered lobbyists and anyone can do a public search on these lobbyists, their clients (by industry - e.g., "Gaming") and see to whom they've made campaign contributions.
A simple search shows lobbyists who reported representing gaming interests and lobbying on gaming-related legislation have donated over $15,000 to Governor Patrick. Here is a sampling of gaming lobbyist contributions to Deval Patrick:
| Date of contribution | Name of lobbyist | Amount | Gaming Related Client |
| 10/20/10 | Nancy J. Sterling | $100 | Development Associates, Las Vegas |
| 10/14/10 | Brad Freeman | $100 | Mohegan Tribal Gaming |
| 10/14/10 | Gary Murad | $100 | Mohegan Tribal Gaming |
| 10/14/10 | Thomas O'Neill III | $200 | Mohegan Tribal Gaming |
| 10/14/10 | Lindsay Toghill | $100 | Mohegan Tribal Gaming |
| 10/14/10 | Sarah Tracey | $100 | Mohegan Tribal Gaming |
| 10/12/10 | Brian Colby | $200 | NE Horsemen Assoc |
| 10/12/10 | Jeffrey Haggerty | $200 | NE Horsemen Assoc |
| 10/12/10 | Arthur Kinsman | $100 | NE Horsemen Assoc |
| 10/12/10 | Patrick J. Loftus | $200 | NE Horsemen Assoc |
| 10/12/10 | Stephen Regan | $200 | NE Horsemen Assoc |
| 9/30/10 | David L. O'Connor | $200 | Development Associates, Las Vegas |
| 9/27/10 | Robert P Rodophele | $200 | International Game Technology, NV |
| 9/27/10 | Michael J. McCormack | $200 | Scientific Games Intl |
| 9/27/10 | Dennis Michael Murphy | $200 | Isle of Capri Casinos, MO |
| 9/22/10 | William A. Delaney | $200 | Paper City Development |
| 9/20/10 | Stephen A Boksanski | $200 | Penn National Gaming |
| 9/19/10 | Vincent J. Shanley | $200 | Penn National Gaming |
| 9/16/10 | Diane McGlynn | $200 | Hotel Workers |
| 9/16/10 | John J McGlynn | $200 | Hotel Workers |
| 9/15/10 | Jason J Godin | $200 | NE Gaming Group |
| 9/15/10 | Steven L Goldblatt | $200 | NE Gaming Group |
| 9/13/10 | David D Cahill | $200 | Penn National Gaming |
| 8/25/10 | Gary Murad | $100 | Mohegan Tribal Gaming |
| 8/2/10 | Paul Michael Tuttle | $200 | Sterling Suffolk |
| 8/2/10 | Dan Cahill | $100 | Mashpee Wampanoag |
| 7/26/10 | Pierce J. Haley | $200 | Boyd Gaming Las Vegas |
| 7/15/10 | Robert Emmet Hayes | $200 | Mashpee Wampanoag |
| 7/15/10 | James Smith | $200 | Mashpee Wampanoag |
| 7/14/10 | Dan Cahill | $100 | Mashpee Wampanoag |
| 6/11/10 | David K Shapiro | $200 | WDC Winn Development, NV |
| 6/11/10 | Frank Shea | $200 | WDC Winn Development, NV |
| 6/10/10 | Robert A Bernstein | $200 | WDC Winn Development, NV |
| 6/10/10 | Robert F. White | $200 | Harras Entertainment |
| 3/28/10 | John E. Murphy, Jr. | $200 | Westwood Group |
| 3/24/10 | Charles A Baker | $200 | Sterling Suffolk Racecourse |
| 3/22/10 | Charlene D. Rideout | $200 | Wampanoag |
| 2/18/10 | Paul M Pezzella | $200 | CrossRoads LLC |
| 1/28/10 | Paul T. Donovan | $200 | Wampanoag |
| 12/21/09 | Jan Z. Rose | $100 | Development Associates, Las Vegas |
| 12/15/09 | Robert F. White | $200 | Wampanoag Gaming |
| 12/9/09 | John A Stefanini | $100 | Sterling Suffolk Racecourse |
| 11/30/09 | William F. Cass | $200 | NE Gaming Group |
| 11/30/09 | Jason J. Godin | $200 | NE Gaming Group |
| 11/30/09 | Steven L. Goldblatt | $200 | NE Gaming Group |
| 11/18/09 | Beth J. Masterman | $200 | Wampanoag |
| 11/10/09 | Charles A Baker | $200 | Sterling Suffolk Racecourse |
| 11/10/09 | Michael A Brown | $200 | WMS Gaming, IL |
| 11/10/09 | Robert Emmet Hayes | $200 | Mashpee Wampanoag |
| 11/10/09 | Robert R Ruddock | $200 | Mashpee Wampanoag |
| 11/10/09 | James E Smith | $200 | Mashpee Wampanoag |
| 6/4/09 | Stephanie D. Neal-Johnson | $200 | Boyd Gaming Las Vegas |
| 5/28/09 | Jan Z. Rose | $100 | Development Associates, Las Vegas |
| 5/25/09 | Roger D Donoghue | $200 | Las Vegas Sands |
| 5/5/09 | Charles A Baker | $200 | Sterling Suffolk Racecourse |
| 3/24/09 | Robert A Bernstein | $200 | WDC Winn Development, NV |
| 3/24/09 | Christopher S Koczela | $200 | Mashpee Wampanoag |
| 3/23/09 | Robert P. Rodophele | $200 | International Game Technology, NV |
| 3/23/09 | Michael J McCormack | $200 | Scientific Games Intl |
| 2/26/09 | Paul G. Afonso | $200 | NE Horsemen Assoc |
| 2/26/09 | Martin T. Nastasia | $200 | NE Horsemen Assoc |
| 12/21/08 | Robert A. Havern | $200 | Development Associates, Las Vegas |
| 12/16/08 | David K Shapiro | $200 | WDC Winn Development, NV |
| 12/15/08 | Jan Z. Rose | $200 | Development Associates, Las Vegas |
| 12/15/08 | Paul J. Scapicchio | $200 | Development Associates, Las Vegas |
| 12/15/08 | David Lyons O'Connor | $250 | Development Associates, Las Vegas |
| 12/15/08 | Robert J. Ryan | $200 | Development Associates, Las Vegas |
| 12/10/08 | Robert C Finneran | $200 | GTECH |
| 12/5/08 | Mark J Delaney | $200 | Massassoit Greyhound |
| 10/22/08 | Robert A Bernstein | $200 | WDC Winn Development, NV |
| 10/22/08 | Jeffrey Haggerty | $200 | NE Horsemen Assoc |
| 10/22/08 | Brian S Hickey | $200 | NE Horsemen Assoc |
| 10/22/08 | Patrick J Loftus, III | $200 | NE Horsemen Assoc |
| 10/22/08 | Neil T O'Brien | $200 | NE Horsemen Assoc |
| 8/1/08 | Scott J Delaney | $50 | Massassoit Greyhound |
| 7/15/08 | John E. Murphy, Jr. | $200 | Westwood Group |
| 7/15/08 | David Lyons O'Connor | $250 | Development Associates, Las Vegas |
| 6/26/08 | Scott M Ferson | $200 | Wampanoag |
| 6/18/08 | Scott J Delaney | $150 | Massassoit Greyhound |
| 6/12/08 | Francis G Mara | $200 | Techlink Entertainment |
| 6/10/08 | Robert P. Rodophele | $200 | International Game Technology, NV |
| 5/20/08 | Charles A Baker | $200 | Sterling Suffolk Racecourse |
| 5/13/08 | Gloria A Craven | $200 | Poker 4 Charity |
| 5/13/08 | Stacey A Ober | $200 | Poker 4 Charity |
| 11/21/06 | Roger D Donoghue | $200 | Las Vegas Sands |
| 8/28/06 | Tara J O'Donnell | $200 | Las Vegas Sands |
| 5/22/06 | Andrew S Levine | $100 | Las Vegas Sands |
So c'mon Governor, don't tell us you're not taking money from special interests in the gaming industry who are seeking special carve outs for groups like the Wampanoag or Mohegan Indians who want tax-exempt gaming, free from local jurisdictions and law enforcement and other perks which don't benefit the state budget or people in the communities where these casinos might be built.
Have you compiled similar campaign contributions for others?
ReplyDeleteThanks Middleboro - yes - here is a link to the spread sheet with all the recent contributions from gaming lobbyists to Mass legislators. This, of course, does not include contributions directly from the gambling syndicate executives themselves and oddly some lobbyists (like Bill Delahunt) contributions weren't reported to the state. We must assume then that the overall numbers are much higher than even this. https://spreadsheets.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AhtwlTx_3IuNdDFpaHRaSzBsWEN2T3d2QXFHZ25Sanc&hl=en_US
ReplyDeleteWhy no word on Diane Patrick's partnership in Ropes and Grey, the law firm of the casinos? Typical lying politicians? Whatever happened to Steve Bailey of the Boston Globe who was retired suddenly after this revelation? And DiMasi? His shenagegans pail in comparison to the money flowing from casino lobbiests. Could it be the powers that be, including the newspaper of the casinos, the Boston Globe, dug out all the skeletons in DiMasi's closet because of his anti casino stance. It sure paved the way for casinos in this state. I have one question for our legislators. Why, when every state that has casinos is doing worse than Mass. are we joining the race to the bottom? Are we stupid or something? And why at this critical juncture in the history of our species are we wasting precious time on this baloney and not doing something about the serious issues that befall us: green energy, relocalization of agriculture and industry, sane and decent jobs, not jobs the create addictions, not industries that rob.
ReplyDeleteAnon,
ReplyDeleteBravo!
I couldn't have said it better myself!
Slot Barns don't create jobs or generate any 'economic engine.' Slot Machines have been described as 'cash sucking machines' that drain the economy of discretionary income and send money out of state or overseas.
Small, local businesses that will be lost with Predatory Gambling, are what generate jobs with a 'multiplier effect' - your neighbor, who works on an 'economic stimulus' road project buys local goods, employs the local plumber and electrician. His wife goes to the local hairdresser. They go to the local mechanic to have their car repaired, to the local bowling alley and to the local restaurant and on it goes.
Can you even imagine what we could accomplish if we focused on green energy and making the Commonwealth 'energy independent' ?