Labor's Gribbon denies he's on board lobbying for Ilitch Family backed Casinos; it's all semantics

The Verifiable Truth has heard from Sacramento-based Jack Gribbon, political organizer and lobbyist/analyst/consultant for Labor who denies involvement as a "contract" lobbyist for the Ilitch Family backed Barstow Casinos. Glad to know he's reading our weblog.

At a recent public meeting, former GOP Assemblyman Keith Olberg, acknowledged as heading up the Ilitch Family's Sacramento lobbying team had reported on the addition of Gribbon and others to their efforts saying Team Ilitch had "shuffled a couple of positions within our Barstow team ... bringing in a lobbyist/consultant/analyst."

Olberg described Gribbon's credentials and emphasized Gribbon's relationship with Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez.

Olberg said Gribbon was "Very close to the speaker, personally, personal friends" and Olberg indicated he expected having Gribbon on board would pay bigger dividends and buy him better access to the Speaker’s Office this time around.

Gribbon insists, "I have not, nor will I be, retained by the Ilitch family to lobby on behalf of the Los Coyotes or Big Lagoon compacts."

However, Gribbon, a paid advocate for labor interests, has already been involved in grassroots lobbying and paid public relations efforts to promote the Ilitch casinos resort development. Of course his financial well-being is tied to this kind of effort.

Gribbon added, "I am an employee of UNITE HERE, I am not a 'contract lobbyist' and I have no financial relationship with the Ilitch family."

Thank you for clarifying that Jack.