Marian Ilitch (owner of Detroit's MotorCity Casino and whose family owns Little Caesars Pizza, Detroit Red Wings and the Detroit Tigers) is one of two principals (her partner is Michael J. Malik, Sr.) in a detroit-based casino syndicate (Barwest, L.L.C.) that has plans to develop two off-reservation Indian casinos in Barstow, CA.Last year (2006), following an investigation spanning two years, the Ilitch partnership was fined by California's Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) on two counts of violating California's political reform laws. Late in the 2004 Presidential Election the Ilitch partnership contributed $26,600 to then-Congressman Richard Pombo's County GOP Committee and failed to report the contribution to California's Secretary of State as required by law. The Ilitch partnership was fined $6,500.
And now, it's rumored that top officials at the City of Barstow are concerned because Ilitch's partners and lobbyists are under investigation by the FPPC for a variety of additional lobbying and political contribution violations.
This week the Ilitch partnership launched a politically motivated advertising campaign in California trying to push leaders in California's legislature to approve gaming Compacts that the legislature rejected in 2006 and which lobbyists have failed to advance again in 2007.
In Spring 2006, the Ilitch organization formed a local political committee and spent nearly $200,000 on campaign activity in the City of Barstow but the committee's campaign manager Tom Shields (Ilitch Family spokesman) is still claiming a debt of more than $147,000 (75% of the committee's total expenditures) -- money Shields reports having paid to various vendors -- now owed to him by the Barstow Committee he created.
(page 3, Major Donor Reporting Violations, Barwest LLC)
- STIPULATION, DECISION & ORDER: FPPC No. 05/548
- Exhibit 1: IN SUPPORT OF STIPULATION, DECISION AND ORDER FPPC NO. 05/548
Contact regarding current investigations: Ron Rector, Barstow Redevelopment Director/Economic Development Director (760) 255-5106, rrector@barstowca.org. Or contact Mayor Lawrence Dale at (760) 252-5800 or (760) 255-5195, ldale@barstowca.org.
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