Barwest, L.L.C. principal Michael J. Malik was betting on support from California's GOP State Senator Jeff Denham for stalled Barstow Casino Compacts when Malik contributed to Denham's re-election campaign. Denham, a Republican, is aligned with Malik's pal former Rep. Richard Pombo and other California Conservatives like Rep. John Doolittle.
Until recently Denham was vice chairman of the State Senate's Governmental Organization (GO) Committee which has oversight for Indian gaming matters in California. The GO Committee held a hearing in April 2006 on the Big Lagoon Rancheria's Barstow Compact and since then, the Committee's chairman, Democrat Senator Dean Florez, has refused to schedule another hearing on the pending Barstow Compacts prefering to have the tribes come back to the legislature for ratification of Compacts only after they complete the federal transfer of lands they intend for gaming in the Department of Interior's fee-t0-trust process.
Recently Democrats have targeted Sen. Denham for recall and even GOP Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger visited Denham's district to put pressure on Denham to support approval of the state's pending budget proposal which is stalled in the legislature. And now Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata, a Democrat, has removed Denham from the Senate GO Committee and his leadership role as vice chairman.
The Barstow Casinos Compacts have been stalled in the legislature the last two years; Malik and proponents of the Compacts can't afford to lose support like Denham's.
In October 2004, during the closing days of the Presidential Election; Pombo, Denham and Malik's Barwest LLC each contributed $26,600 to the San Joaquin GOP Central Committee on the same day. Malik's Barwest LLC failed to report its major contribution under California's political reform laws. California's Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) investigated the matter and last Fall, Malik acknowledged that Barwest LLC was guilty on two counts of violating the State's political reform laws and paid fines totalling $6,5oo.
Until recently Denham was vice chairman of the State Senate's Governmental Organization (GO) Committee which has oversight for Indian gaming matters in California. The GO Committee held a hearing in April 2006 on the Big Lagoon Rancheria's Barstow Compact and since then, the Committee's chairman, Democrat Senator Dean Florez, has refused to schedule another hearing on the pending Barstow Compacts prefering to have the tribes come back to the legislature for ratification of Compacts only after they complete the federal transfer of lands they intend for gaming in the Department of Interior's fee-t0-trust process.
Recently Democrats have targeted Sen. Denham for recall and even GOP Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger visited Denham's district to put pressure on Denham to support approval of the state's pending budget proposal which is stalled in the legislature. And now Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata, a Democrat, has removed Denham from the Senate GO Committee and his leadership role as vice chairman.
The Barstow Casinos Compacts have been stalled in the legislature the last two years; Malik and proponents of the Compacts can't afford to lose support like Denham's.
In October 2004, during the closing days of the Presidential Election; Pombo, Denham and Malik's Barwest LLC each contributed $26,600 to the San Joaquin GOP Central Committee on the same day. Malik's Barwest LLC failed to report its major contribution under California's political reform laws. California's Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) investigated the matter and last Fall, Malik acknowledged that Barwest LLC was guilty on two counts of violating the State's political reform laws and paid fines totalling $6,5oo.
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