According to The Center for Responsive Politics and confirmed in disclosure documents available from the U.S. Senate Office of Public Records, federal lobbying activity that could continue paving the way for expansion of the Ilitch Family’s gaming interests outside of Detroit has topped $2.5 million since 2002. Nearly all of that (85%) was spent backing efforts to support Indian casinos in Michigan and New York.
Priority funding of lobbyists by the various Ilitch backed syndicates was directed as follows:
- Michigan - $1.27 million supporting the Bay Mills Indian Community attempt to develop a Port Huron casino and other ventures just an hour outside of Detroit on the Canadian border (entities include Blue Water Resorts LLC, Blue Water Resorts Manager Inc., MJM Enterprises & Development, MJM Bay Mills, etc.);
- New York - $930,000 supporting efforts by the Shinnecock Indian Nation to develop a casino resort on New York’s Long Island, in “The Hamptons” playground that is home of people like Steven Spielberg, Jerry Seinfeld and P.Diddy (entities include Empire Associates LLC, Empire Ventures LLC, Gateway Funding Associates, Gateway Casino Resorts, MJM Enterprises Development, etc.).
- California - only $80,000 has been paid to D.C. lobbyists pushing approval of the two casinos in Barstow – half way between Los Angeles and Las Vegas -- proposed in partnership with Indians from the Los Coyotes Reservation and the Big Lagoon Rancheria.
News accounts suggest the Ilitch/Michael Malik partnership (Barwest LLC) has had a virtual monopoly on any gaming franchise in Barstow since 2001 by arrangement with the local Mayor but has faced numerous roadblocks and made only superficial progress in Sacramento and Washington D.C.; and while the struggling Barstow community is thirsty for casino development, the Ilitch partnership has often put that project on the back burner, directing resources and priorities to their endeavors in the east.
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed agreements for Ilitch’s Barstow casinos in 2005, but since then, the Ilitch/Michael Malik partnership has failed in any lobbying efforts to generate even modest support for legislative ratification of its Schwarzenegger autographed agreements.
click for: Analysis of $2.8 million cummulative D.C. lobbying expenses
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The Verifiable Truth: Six bills introduced, in six years at a price tag of six figures ponied up by Mike & Marian Ilitch, Associate
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