Monday, August 06, 2007

Michigan Developer directed political funds to Rep Don Young and got $10 million earmarked for Florida road project


Complete article can be retrieved from the NY Times Archive or is available for review here.

Alaskan Gets Campaign Cash; Florida Road Gets U.S. Funds

By DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK (NYT); National Desk
Late Edition - Final, Section A, Page 1, Column 1, 1209 words

Rep. Don Young, Alaska Republican whose constituents are far from Florida, nevertheless earmarked $10 million in federal transportation funds to link Coconut Road near Fort Myers to Interstate 75; Young is also congressman who steered more than $200 million to so-called bridge to nowhere in Alaska; Rep Connie Mack, who represents district, says he did not request money and Lee County officials twice refused to use it, but project would benefit Daniel Aronoff, developer who helped raise $40,000 for Young and owns up to 4,000 acres along Coconut Road; consultant Joe Mazurkiewicz credits 'very good impression' they made with getting Young's help on interchange funds and $81 million for work on interstate; Young's role escalates objections to project as environmental threat to wetlands and example of corruption and improper earmarking; Young was transportation committee chairman until Democrats won majority; Aronoffs gave more than $200,000 to Republicans in 2006.

* * *

Since 2003, Daniel J. Aronoff's Detroit-based Landon Companies have been represented in Washington D.C. by lobbyist Richard Alcalde. In 2004, Alcalde formed his own lobbying firm, Potomac Partners D.C. In addition to his ties to Rep. Don Young, Alcalde came under fire last summer when the Washington Post reported a $50,000 "consulting" realtionship Alcalde had with the daughter of Rep. Jerry Lewis. At the time Alcalde had clients with interests before the House Appropriations Committee which was chaired then by Rep. Lewis.

Since 2005, Alcalde has also represented Michael J. Malik's Detroit-based MJM Enterprises & Development. Malik is a syndicator of Indian casinos and his primary business partners are members of Detroit's billionaire Ilitch Family (owners of Little Caesars Pizza, Detroit Tigers, Detroit Red Wings, Detroit's MotorCity Casino, etc.).

According to Opensecrets.org for the Center for Responsive Politics, the family of Mike Ilitch and Marian Ilitch through Ilitch Holdings, Inc. (Detroit, MI) ranked #6 on Young's list of overall contributors for the 2006 election cycle. MJM Enterprises paid Alcalde's firm $300,000 for representation during that same period. Further, Malik/Ilitch controlled entities fronted more than $13,000 in private aircraft travel for Rep. Don Young in 2005.

As the New York Times notes above, Rep. Young held leadership positions on the House Transportation Committee (chariman); and he was a senior members and former chair of the House Natural Resources Committee. Both committees have been critical to he success of Malik/Ilitch casino ventures -- namely plans by Malik/Ilitch to relocate an off-reservation Indian casino in Port Huron, Michigan more than 300 miles away from the Bay Mills Indian Community's reservation.

Rep. Young backs the Malik/Ilitch plan for Michigan and has helped advance the plans in Congress several times. Proponents of the Malik/Ilitch backed casino convinced Rep. Young to bury approval of their plans in a Transportation spending bill during the 109th Congress but that attempt was thwarted.

No comments:

TVT has welcomed more than 178,000 unique vistors

TVT, founded in December 2006, has averaged more than 20,000 visitors annually. It is produced with the support of scores of individuals from coast-to-coast, each a volunteer citizen activist/jounalist, who review tips and compile the verifiable details and documents that are the hallmark of our content.

Since our first post, more than 178,000 visitors have accessed the details compiled uniquely at TVT.

The citizen activists behind TVT wish to extened a big "THANK YOU" to all those who have provided "tips" -- contributed pictures, documents, link suggestions, leads, reports, insight and comments. Your trust and confidence in TVT has allowed us to create a comprehensive resource that thousands of others -- including bloggers, journalists, Members of Congress and other local citizen activists around the country -- have come to rely upon.

We invite feedback and constructive comment and want you to know you are welcome to do that here in "comments" or by contacting us directly and confidentially via allverifiable@gmail.com

Google News: Indian Gaming

NEWS: Bay Mills Indian Community & Casino Proposals

NEWS: Shinnecock Indian Nation (Gateway Casino Resorts) Casino Proposals

NY Times: Shinnecock Indian Nation

NEWS: Los Coyotes Indian Tribe

NEWS: Los Coyotes / Barwest Barstow Casino Proposals

NEWS: Michael J. Malik, Sr.

NEWS: Marian Ilitch

Muckety.com: Mapping Social Networks

Play with the interactive tool here or visit Muckety.com

TIP: Search for multiple entries in the Muckety.com database simultaneously by separating their names with the word and

certainly must reads!

Ilitch has backed loosing sports teams and pizza, but casinos in Detroit? Forbes.com 10.09.06 ● Marian Ilitch #1 on "25 Most Powerful People" to Watch 2006” global gaming business o1.oo.o5 ● My Kingdom for a Casino Forbes 05.08.06 ● Big Lagoon’s casino dream awakens north coast journal 07.28.05 ● Shinnecocks launch legal claim to Hamptons land newsday.com 06.16.05 ● Ilitch Plans to Expand Casino Empire RGTonline.com 07.05.05 ● Ilitch outbids partners MichiganDaily.com 04.14.05 ● Ilitch enmeshed in NY casino dispute detnews.com 03.20.05 ● Marian Ilitch, high roller freep.com 03.20.05 ● MGM Mirage to Decide on Offer for Casino in Detroit rgtonline.com 04.16.05 ● Secret deal for MotorCity alleged freep.com 02.15.05 ● Los Coyotes get new developer desertdispatch.com 02.08.05 Detroit casino figure to finance Barstow project LasVegasSun.com 07.07.03 ● Indian Band trying to put casino in Barstow signonSanDiego.com 06.04.03 Pizza matriarch takes on casino roles detnews.com 10.23.02 ● Vanderbilt gets short straw in negotiations for a casino Lansing Journal 10.06.02 ● Indians aim to drive family from tribe in vicious dispute san diego union tribune 04.09.00 ●Malik owns 2000 Michigan Quarter Horse of the Year Michigan.gov 01.01.00 ● Detroit Team to run Michigan’s newest Indian casino detnews.com 05.23.99 Tiger ties tangle Marian Ilitch detnews.com 04.29.99 ● Three investors must sell their Detroit casino interests gamblingmagazine.com 04.25.99 ● Partners’ cash revived election; They say money was crucial to Prop-E detnews.com 04.25.99 Investors have troubled histories las vegas review journal 04.27.99 ● Investor served probation for domestic assault on 12 year old boy detnews.com 04.25.99 Can a pair win a jackpot?: local men hope to... crainsdetroit.com 03.17.97

The Verifiable Truth