The corruption of Massachusetts fueled by the gaming industry is now complete. Governor Deval "I don't count every check" Patrick's Gaming Commission has hired political insider Stan McGee to run the board's operations and steer policy. The Commission is charged, in part, with ensuring criminals and miscreants don't infiltrate and corrupt the casino industry as it takes its grip over gaming in the Commonwealth. So why not appoint someone who Florida police charged with sexually molested a boy between the ages of 12-16 while hanging out in $500 per night room resort in Florida.
The Boston Globe reported that Carl Stanley McGee had been placed on unpaid leave in 2008 while serving as one of Patrick's key advisers in developing casino gaming legislation after being arrested in Florida for "masturbating and performing oral sex" on a teenage boy in the steam room of the Gasparilla Club in Boca Grande, Florida. While we could ask why or how McGee, an assistant secretary for policy and planning, was lolling around in a swank and dandy Florida beach club at $500 per night on his government salary that seems minor against the backdrop of his arrest.
On May 3, 2012 the Boston Globe provided additional details on McGee's Florida arrest and subsequent dropping of charges against him by Florida prosecutors. The Globe reported that the victim and his family stood by their claims and that the police investigators protested the dropping of the charges. Lawyers for the boy who claim he was molested pointed to the confidential cash settlement paid by McGee and an investigator from the Florida state Crimes Against Children's unit assigned to review the prosecutors decision to not pursue McGee recommended the state attorney reconsider the prosecution.
When the Globe questioned the officers who first investigated and asked why prosecutors didn't push the case, they claimed something happened "somewhere between Massachusetts and Florida... above my pay grade." We may never know, but the police who arrested McGee - who exercised his Fifth Amendment rights and declined to answer their question then - are certainly suggesting political favors above a simple cop's pay level made this problem go away for McGee. For his part, McGee still won't answer questions about this and hasn't publicly stated that he did not molest the boy. If political influence from the Patrick Administration was used to prevent McGee from being prosecuted for molesting a child, somebody should find out.
Perhaps Martha Coakley will put aside the fact that she received those nice campaign contributions from casino lobbyists just this one time and ask a few questions. Otherwise, the people of the Commonwealth will be left with a very sour taste indeed about the integrity of those making critical decisions for gaming in the state.
On May 3, 2012 the Boston Globe provided additional details on McGee's Florida arrest and subsequent dropping of charges against him by Florida prosecutors. The Globe reported that the victim and his family stood by their claims and that the police investigators protested the dropping of the charges. Lawyers for the boy who claim he was molested pointed to the confidential cash settlement paid by McGee and an investigator from the Florida state Crimes Against Children's unit assigned to review the prosecutors decision to not pursue McGee recommended the state attorney reconsider the prosecution.
When the Globe questioned the officers who first investigated and asked why prosecutors didn't push the case, they claimed something happened "somewhere between Massachusetts and Florida... above my pay grade." We may never know, but the police who arrested McGee - who exercised his Fifth Amendment rights and declined to answer their question then - are certainly suggesting political favors above a simple cop's pay level made this problem go away for McGee. For his part, McGee still won't answer questions about this and hasn't publicly stated that he did not molest the boy. If political influence from the Patrick Administration was used to prevent McGee from being prosecuted for molesting a child, somebody should find out.
Perhaps Martha Coakley will put aside the fact that she received those nice campaign contributions from casino lobbyists just this one time and ask a few questions. Otherwise, the people of the Commonwealth will be left with a very sour taste indeed about the integrity of those making critical decisions for gaming in the state.
If this is the highest standard allowed by Governor Patrick and the Gaming Commission for selecting those charged with gaming oversight what can we expect the crowd running the casinos under their purview will be like? Conveniently for Patrick, McGee will drive the board's process and decision making during the critical months in which they will decide whether or not to allow the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe to move forward with their plans for an Indian reservation casino. Wonder how much that cost Genting Malaysia and their lobbyist former Congressman Bill Delahunt?
You see, McGee was the insider who orchestrated the special interest legislative carve out that benefits the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe's casino efforts on the South Shore. Guess that means the requirements that the Tribe actually prove that they can get Congress to overturn a Supreme Court Decision which bars them from opening a casino AND convince the Department of the Interior to grant them off-reservation land-in-trust by the July 31, 2012 deadline will somehow slip by...
Perhaps Cedric Cromwell has a special steam room planned for McGee in his Taunton resort complex as pay-off. Heck, since no Taunton or State Police will be allowed on "the reservation" in Taunton, McGee's risks of any unseemly scrutiny by the Wampanoag tribal police which will be controlled by Cedric seems low. This is truly a new low for the Commonwealth and another pockmark on the corruption that riddles the Indian gaming industry.
As for those pesky requirements that casino employees pass background checks, including making sure they're not child sex offenders, well since the Gaming Commission feels free to hire someone with such a record, McGee will probably have a nice job waiting for him at Wampa World Taunton when this is all done. Besides, the Mashpee Wampanoag Indian Casino won't actually have to comply with any state rules or regulations requiring such inconvenient background checks as they will be a sovereign Indian nation operating on a no-rules reservation - where anything goes and Stan will never have to worry about being arrested for having sex with minor boys again.
What do you expect all the players in this game are corrupt.It just get worse .Connect all the dots to make this picture.
ReplyDeleteEven if McGee's charges were eventually dropped (wonder how much that cost him) the perception here is soooo bad. How could Gov Patrick or the others not think this would hurt the credibility of a commission that is supposed to uphold values, decency, etc... in the face of all the corruption and sleaziness that comes hand in glove with casinos.
ReplyDeleteAccording to the newspaper reports McGee entered into a "confidential settlement" with the boy and his family, who dropped the charges. That's one way to sweep your problems under the rug. I hope it was a bundle! But probably not as much as he'll make "consulting" to the casino industry when all is said and done.
ReplyDeleteIt's time for a new governor of Massachusetts. We need someone who will run and make a better difference. My son was hurt on a bus by the driver back in 2007 Chicopee MA. The driver was not arrested nor was there anything done except the bus company then trying to push charges against me. The driver was hurting my child on the way to school through use of a person she would pick up and then drop off in route. We know how much bus drivers make and it was the same time that Mc Gee was around the Springfield MA area. No charges against hurting my child only a Superintendents cries on the otherside of the phone telling me how sorry he was -
DeleteThe charges were dropped. According to AP - March 21, 2008 ""The State Attorney in Lee County, Florida, after a thorough investigation, has decided that no charges should be brought against Stan McGee," McGee's Boston-based attorney, Charles Rankin, said in a statement Thursday. 'Mr. McGee believes the decision by the Florida prosecutor not to pursue this case speaks for itself, and he looks forward to going on with his life." http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20080321%2FNEWS%2F803210356%2F-1%2FNEWS01
ReplyDeleteI'll add that the charges were dropped, but it appears they were dropped after Mr. McGee plead the 5th and after he reached a financial settlement with the family of boy. On appearance - this doesn't look good. And to be in a major position of responsibility enforcing rules around an industry which is rife with problems associated with prostitution, sexual assaults and other crimes, the optics of this appointment are problematic at the least.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure Mr. McGee will offer to take a "lie-detector" test to clear his "good" name.
DeleteAgreed.
DeleteIt took me several tries to access this story - getting 503 Error reports - which suggests someone is running denial of service attacks on your blog to prevent people from reading this. You must have angered the wrong people and dangerous people - thanks for your good work in keeping this issue alive. Just watch your back, with this much money and corruption involved what do you think they'd be willing to do to shut you up beyond hacking your blog to stop people from being able to read you?
ReplyDeleteMcGee is now gone, at least from the Gaming Commission, so you were right. Good job keeping up the pressure - McGee apparently wasn't willing to let the facts come forth, disclose the nature of his settlement with the boy or have to go on the record stating he didn't molest the child - which he inevitably would have been forced to do. The only question remaining is whether or not the Patrick Administration had anything to do with influencing the Florida prosecutors to drop the charges. The injustice of this remains. Thanks again.
ReplyDeleteAnd now pederast Stan McGee is gone from the Patrick Administration! Thank you for keeping up the pressure. It's sickening that it takes any pressure to address such a monster being protected by the likes of Deval Patrick (or any elected official for that matter). McGee must be one super-special Indian casino lawyer for them to have let this slide.
ReplyDeleteMcGee will likely get a job on some political payroll now or more likely with the casino folks he's helped using his influence after they got him bailed out of trouble in Florida. It's just really too bad Florida doesn't put him on trial like they would do for anyone else caught in this situation. McGee could plead his innocence and case before a judge and jury and the victim would at least know the justice system wasn't completely corrupted.
From what the Florida cops continued to say, I doubt any jury or judge would believe Carl Stanley McGee the same way Gaming Commissioner Crosby and Governor Patrick did. I hear Florida prisons are among the worst in the country and that's what someone like this deserves as opposed to fancy resort where he raped that poor little boy. There should be a law that sends people who protect pederasts and rapists of children to prison with them.