Indiana
Audits East Chicago Casino Contract
As reported by the Indiana Post-Tribune:
"Indiana Attorney General Steve Carter
will investigate East Chicago's local casino
agreement on behalf of the Indiana Gaming Commission,
citing a need to scrutinize "questionable"
transactions.
"Since
1994, East Chicago Community Foundation and
the Twin Cities Foundation have each received
1 percent of the casino's gross revenue. A private,
for-profit company, Second Century, receives
0.75 percent a year directly from the casino,
under local agreement. Among other things, city
officials have questioned the amount spent on
salaries and board members, expensive consulting
contracts and lack of oversight for grants provided
by the foundations.
"After
taking office in January, Mayor George Pabey
asked the gaming commission to void the arrangement
when the license was transferred from Harrah's
Casino to Resorts International in April. Instead
of voiding the deal, though, the Gaming Commission
transferred the license. It left the question
of whether the local agreement was legal to
a lawsuit pending in Marion Superior Court.
As part of the investigation, Carter filed a
motion this week asking the judge to stay the
suit, giving him time to complete his investigation
for the Gaming Commission…"
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