Why isn't the Detroit Casino Syndicate called Barwest LLC registered as a lobbyist employer?
Where is the money coming from that Barstwest uses to pay lobbyists?
Who is hiding behind Big Lagoon and Los Coyote Indian Tribes?
Former GOP Assemblyman and candidate for Secretary of State Keith Olberg (Capitol Ventures, Roseville) filed disclosure documents with the Secretary of State for each of the first three quarters of 2006 under penalty of perjury and reported he'd been paid $63,805 by the Los Coyotes Tribe in connection with a scheme to relocate two Indian casinos to Barstow.
The Los Coyotes Tribe also filed lobbyist employer disclosure documents during the first three quarters of 2006 and reported a relationship with another firm, Governmental Advocates, but not with Olberg.
Lobbying Payment Disclosures 2006
31-Mar | 30-Jun | 30-Sep | 31-Dec | Total | |
Los Coyotes reported | $0 | $0 | $0 | $31,482 | $31,482 |
Olberg reported | $15,000 | $24,769 | $24,036 | $31,482 | $95,287 |
∆ -$63,805 |
As reported in disclosures on file with the CA Secretary of State
In its final disclosure report for the year, in addition to reporting collective payments totaling $138,446 to Governmental Advocates, the Los Coyotes Tribe reported a payment of $31,482 to Olberg for representation during the last quarter of the legislative cycle. Olberg's final report indicated the Los Coyotes Tribe had paid him each of four quarters for a total of $95,287 during 2006 (3x times what the tribe reported paying him).
Why did the Los Coyotes fail to report more than $63,000 paid to lobbyist Olberg during 2006?
So who is really paying Olberg? And whose interests does he really represent? He's made public references to a team of people in New York, Washington, Michigan and Las Vegas who are working to bring the Casinos and Resorts to Barstow. There are no notations on Olberg's reports to suggest someone else paid him nor any disclosures or activity authorizations by another lobbyist employer to coincide with payments Olberg claims to have received from Los Coyotes Tribe. However, buried as a footnote in the final report filed by the Los Coyotes Tribe was the following: ""Payments made on behalf of Los Coyotes by Barwest LLC, 2211 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, Michigan, 48201." That lead to a similar discovery buried in the 20-page Governmental Advocates disclosure: "**FEES RECEIVED THROUGH INTERMEDIARY BAR WEST,INC." The Detroit Casino Syndicate (Barwest) appears to be the conduit for bankrolling and directing lobbying efforts and avoiding any proper disclosures hiding behind the Los Coyotes Tribe. They failed to report the syndicate as a lobbyist employer and they can hide the source of the funds they used to pay the lobbyists. AND they are free to give political cash ($85,000 last year) to politicians their partners are lobbying for votes. Those bankrolling the plan for twin casinos in Barstow are breaking the spirit of California's political reforms act and maybe even breaking California law.
You may also want to review these posts:
The Verifiable Truth: Irregularities in Lobbying Disclosures for Barstow Casinos bankrolled by Ilitch Detroit-based Syndicate
The Verifiable Truth: Lobbyist failed to report $66,677 from Big Lagoon Rancheria
The Verifiable Truth: By Bankrolling lobbying expenses behind the scenes, Casino Syndicators were free to flow political cash
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