Detroit casino developer quietly paid Tribes' $111k lobbying bills

First quarter '07 Sacramento lobbying expenses for the Big Lagoon Rancheria and Los Coyotes Band of Indians totalled more than $111,000.00 according to reports filed with the California Secretary of State.

In yet another indication the tribes are fronting for out of state casino interests, Detroit-based Barwest LLC apparently paid the $111,000.00 lobbying tab for the tribes. At least that's what's implied in annotated postcripts in several of the reports.

It's rumored that the leaders of the two tribes are also being paid by Barwest for their roles during this lobbying and entitlement phase which could be construed as lobbying payments as well; although there have been no disclosures of such to date.

The Tribes have signed away the exclusive development and management rights for their proposed casino to Barwest LLC; and Barwest owns the land in Barstow where the casinos and resorts would be built.

Barwest LLC was fined in October by California's Fair Political Practices Commission for failing to disclose a $26,600 contribution they made to Rep. Richard Pombo's San Joaquin County GOP Committee in October 2004.

In February a Superior Court Judge ordered another Barwest front group to pay the $110,000.00 legal bills that proponents of a barstow citizens' ballot measure had incurred defending their right to vote against a Barwest challenge in 2006.

The principals behind Barwest LLC, Mrs. Marian Ilitch and Michael J. Malik, Sr. were among the founders of Detroit's MotorCity Casino. Malik was disqualifed from receiving the necessary gaming license and forced to divest his interests. Ilitch was licensed and ultimately bought outstanding shares of MotorCity Casino from Mandalay Resort Group and various minor partners. Under Ilitch 100% ownership, MotorCity Casino is the largest and one of the only woman-owned casinos in the U.S.