Was it Dennis Whittlesey's Intent to make the case for Michael Malik's Los Coyotes Barstow (Off-Reservation) Casino?

For more than 15 years, attorney Dennis Whittlesey has been a tool of Detroit gambling promoters.  Among other things, Detroiter Michael Malik’s crew has previously introduced him into their Barstow (CA) casino schemes.  With his latest article is Whittlesey making the case for Malik’s Los Coyotes casino in Barstow, 165 miles away from the tribe’s so-called "remote" and "undevelopable," geographically undesireable San Diego County reservation?

United States: Another Tribal Casino Facing Financial Distress – This One May Have Been Its Own Worst Enemy

11.01.2011

By Dennis J. Whittlesey

...The casino site is located on the Dry Creek Rancheria, a small federal fee tract of land located some seven miles east of U.S. Highway 101 at Geyserville. Visitors must drive a two-lane country road to reach the site, and then navigate a narrow, winding country road (now paved) up a steep hillside to the casino itself. Water supply and waste disposal have been problems in the past, although one of the project's worst problems was that the hill was unstable and a major "hillside stabilization project" had to be completed before major construction could be commenced. That project reportedly cost some $15 million at the time.

Because of the narrow roads serving the casino site from U.S. 101, access always has been a concern. Indeed, a major component of the refinancing would provide funding to construct an emergency access road.

Prior to the casino's construction, the Alexander Valley Association (an organization consisting of the landowners within the valley) even brokered agreements with local and federal officials and politicians that would have facilitated a rare off-reservation casino development. Proposed sites for the casino were located adjacent to U.S. 101 and featured easy access to the site. Comprehensive utility services were in place for each of the prospective sites, not the least of which were those for water and sewer. For reasons never made clear, the tribe and its developers rejected all of these alternative locations in favor of using Rancheria land.

The tried and true axiom for any real estate acquisition is "location, location, location." A prime consideration for many casino developments has been the ability to "capture" highway traffic to augment the local population clientele. While there are no known publicly released studies identifying the capture rate for River Rock, geographical location may raise some concerns.

The casino is constructed, so relocating to improve the capture rate may not be a viable option. With the challenges in today's finance markets, the consequences of past decisions can be, and often are, amplified. The confluence of today's "new [ab]normal" finance markets and past decisions may well spin the tale of River Rock when its story is finally written.

Has Lansing (MI) hired Dennis Whitlesey (Dickinson Wright)?

Lansing casino is 'not a realistic expectation,' experts say

10.12.2011

by Nyssa Rabinowitz

...O’Dell also told City Pulse that the city had retained Dickinson Wright to look into the legal nuances for bringing a casino to the city, but Stocker denied those claims... (Complete Story)

Attorney Dennis Whittlesey up to his Old Tricks

Firm's Biography:
Dennis J. Whittlesey

We've had several inquiries recently about the whereabouts and activities of attorney Dennis Whittlesey. Apparently he remains with Dickinson Wright attached to that firm's Washington, D.C. office.

Whittlesey is still acting in the capacity of third-party pimp for the interests of his Detroit casino syndicator pals.  And that includes posting articles to an out dated little trafficked old blog supporting the Detroiter's agendas.

Take a look at some of the posts he's added recently to that tired blog:

• Newly Recognized And Searching For A Casino Location On Long Island
• Detroit Casinos’ July Revenues Increase From Same Month Last Year: Michigan Gaming Control Board Releases July 2011 Revenue Data
• Barstow Bounces Back
• Detroit Casinos' June Revenues Increase From Same Month Last Year: Michigan Gaming Control Board Releases June 2011
• The Catskills Tribal Casino Scam 

Chair of Middleboro Selectmen & leading advocate for Mashpee Wampanoag casino plan resigns

Adam Bond, Chairman of the Middleboro Board of Selectmen resigned this week. He cited the influence of tribal interests on the rest of the Board as a primary reason.

Click the arrow to watch Bond's resignation speech

Bond was tied to plans advanced by the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe and its developers Herb Strather, Sol Kerzner and Len Wolman to develop a large casino resort in Middleboro. Bond was out front as an advocate of the plan and brought in attorney Dennis Whittlesey to help him negotiate a contract between Middleboro and the Tribe and its developers.

The mega-casino project has not been without controversy. At times opponents of the gambling proposal accused Bond of being in the pocket of the tribe and its developers.

Then in December, a former chairman of the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe, Glenn Marshall, was charged by the U.S. Justice Department with various counts of fraud and illegal campaign finance activity. Marshall has indicated he will plead guilty on all charges and will assist the Justice Department in its ongoing investigations. The case is one of the branches of the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal that has unfolded in Washington D.C. in recent years.

According to the Cape Cod Times:

Since mid-December, when former Mashpee Wampanoag Chairman Glenn Marshall admitted to federal corruption and fraud charges, Bond has been pushing fellow board members to seize the opportunity to sweeten the casino deal. Bond has repeatedly said Marshall’s crimes could constitute a breach of contract with the town because Marshall was the person making promises to the town on the tribe’s behalf.

His fellow board members resisted, calling only for a meeting with the tribe’s new leaders who will be elected Feb. 8.

Last Wednesday, Bond lashed out at the board on his blog, specifically citing Selectman Mimi Duphily for contacting the tribe’s political consultant, Stephen Graham, and other tribe members.“I am concerned that the town’s interests and/or strategies are being overlooked (and leaked) for some esoteric and emotional reason relating to how certain individuals feel about the tribal members on a personal level,” Bond wrote.

Detroit casino interests behind Cape Cod casino plans

8.06.07

Mass. tribe gets casino help from Detroit

When Middleborough, Mass., residents voted July 29 to endorse a proposal for a $1 billion Indian casino resort in their town, there was a significant Detroit presence involved.

Entrepreneur Herb Strather and attorneys Laurence Deitch and Dennis Whittlesey are assisting the Mashpee Wampanoag Indian tribe in its pursuit of the project.

Strather's Detroit-based AtMashpee L.L.C. aided the tribe in negotiations with the U.S. Department of Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs for final recognition, which became official on May 23. It owns or has options on 375 acres of land in Middleborough. Strather, who organized the founding company for MotorCity Casino, also has helped finance the Mashpee tribe's casino development efforts.

Deitch, of Detroit-based Bodman L.L.P., provides legal counsel to the tribe. Whittlesey, a gaming and Indian law attorney of Dickinson Wright P.L.L.C.'s Washington office, represents Middleborough.

“The Detroit involvement in this project is no accident,” Whittlesey said, “and don't be surprised if you see more of it around the country.”

Dennis Whittlesey on a Port Huron Casino

excerpted from a Port Huron Times Herald article originally published 9.25.02:

...Joining the fray

Dennis Whittlesey, a gaming expert and Washington, D.C., lawyer, was convinced a bill allowing the Bay Mills Indian Community to build a casino in Port Huron would move smoothly through Congress -- until he heard Detroit officials plan to fight it.

"If Detroit wants to get in the fray, they can be very effective in Washington," Whittlesey said.

Dennis Whitlesey been involved in advancing various casino proposals put forth by Michael J. Malik, Sr., and Marian Ilitch. He was also involved in advancing plans by Herb Strather to build an Indian casino in Massachusetts. Malik, Ilitch and Strather were founding partners in Detroit's MotorCity Casino.

Gov. Patrick against Mashpee casino proposal for Middleborough

2.07.08

Governor opposes casino land request
Urges US to deny tribe's petition in effort to maintain state control

By Matt Viser
Globe Staff

Governor Deval Patrick asked the federal government yesterday to reject efforts by the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe to place its planned casino site in Middleborough in a federal trust, an attempt by Patrick to steer the tribe toward a state-issued casino license that would garner far more money for Massachusetts.

With billions of dollars at stake, Patrick's move was part of a brewing dispute over what form expanded gambling could take in Massachusetts and whether it will be controlled by the state or by the tribe and the federal government.

If the tribe is able to win federal trust status for the land, the property effectively becomes sovereign territory, and the state risks being shut out of a share of gambling proceeds. State regulators would not have any sway over details like zoning, traffic, environmental impacts, and public safety. The value of any future state-licensed casinos would also be diluted.

By filing his 125-page objection with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the governor officially planted his flag in the Middleborough casino debate for the first time. While the subtext was clear - a fight over money - the administration hinged its arguments yesterday on jurisdiction, saying that trust status would deny the state any control over a host of issues.

Patrick supports tribal gambling, but on the state's terms. He has proposed a state licensing system for three resort casinos in the state and would give a bidding preference to Indian tribes in Massachusetts. Administration officials have been meeting with Wampanoag representatives to discuss the possibility of the tribe bidding on a state gambling license.

While Patrick's move could help him gain negotiating leverage, it is unlikely to persuade the federal government to deny the Wampanoag trust application, specialists say. States have little influence over whether Indian tribes are able to place lands in federal trust, even for the purpose of building casinos.

"The governor has no voice in the matter," said Dennis Whittlesey, a Washington-based lawyer specializing in Indian law. Last year, he represented the town of Middleborough in negotiating a deal that requires the tribe to pay the town $7 million a year if a casino is built.

"The governor can complain all he wants, but it does not matter," Whittlesey said. "He has no input."

The governor's filing yesterday questioned the actions of former tribal chairman Glenn Marshall, who resigned in August after news surfaced of a past rape conviction and his misrepresentation of his military record. The state's document states that Marshall, who was involved in negotiating the contract between the tribe and its outside partners, is a subject of a federal investigation by the Internal Revenue Service and the Justice Department.

It also says that the financial deal between the tribe and its outside investors has not been disclosed to the state and that, without details, there is no evidence that the tribe would receive the most benefit from a casino.

"We have significant concerns about the initial proposal," Daniel O'Connell, Patrick's economic development secretary and chief gaming adviser, said in an interview yesterday. "We don't think it has enough information provided. Not enough work has been done to make the case for land [to go] into trust."

Administration officials have met with tribal leaders three times and have another meeting planned later this month, to discuss both the tribe's plans for the land and the administration's concerns.

"The tribe continues to have productive discussions with the Patrick Administration," tribal council chairman Shawn Hendricks Sr. said in a written statement yesterday. "We have clearly stated our reasons for sovereign land, and the governor has clearly stated his questions and concerns for the Commonwealth. We look forward to working through the issues raised with him, and I am confident we can do so."

The tribe won federal recognition last year, which set it on course to build a resort casino with 4,000 slot machines, table games, a 1,500-room hotel, and a host of amenities, including a golf course. The next critical step for the tribe is getting federal approval to place its land in trust, a process that can often take years.

When the tribe won recognition, Patrick telephoned the tribal council to extend his congratulations, and they agreed to further talks about taking land into trust.

Tribal leaders have said they would pursue a casino license under the governor's proposed legislation, which would legalize three casinos in Massachusetts. But given the political uncertainty of the proposal, which has not yet been taken up in the House, the tribe is also pursuing a plan to put the 539 acres in Middleborough into federal trust, which would effectively make it part of the tribe's reservation.

Other states have handled the situation similarly, opposing initial applications on a legal or technical basis with the hope of gaining political leverage and negotiating power.

"Very few governors from the get-go come out in support of those applications," said Steven Light, codirector of the Institute for the Study of Tribal Gaming Law and Policy at the University of North Dakota. "It's a political thicket. It's a sticky issue for them."

What is unusual is that, in Massachusetts, the governor is simultaneously pushing for legalization of casinos under a proposed state law.

Governor Tommy Thompson of Wisconsin opposed applications in the 1990s. In Oregon, Governor Ted Kulongoski in 2005 came out in support for an Indian casino in the Columbia River Gorge. Governor Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota initially opposed casinos, but then embarked on a failed bid to develop a joint partnership between the state and the tribes.

Sean Murphy of the Globe staff and Globe correspondent Christine Wallgren contributed to this report. Matt Viser can be reached at maviser@globe.com.

Ilitch Malik Team desperate; rather than address own shortcomings, go on attack

Casino syndicators Marian Ilitch and Michael J. Malik are showing signs of desparation this past week relative to several of their off-reservation Indian Casino schemes:

Apparently this past week; Malik's Blue Water Resorts LLC has filed a lawsuit against fellow casino syndicator and competitor Tony DeFeo trying to block DeFeo's competing casino scheme in the Port Huron area. Malik and Ilitch have been attempting to site an off-reservation casino for the Bay Mills Indian Tribe in Port Huron for the last 15 years with little progress.

Ilitch/Malik spokesman Tom Shields flew half-way across the Country last week to attend the Barstow City Council meeting where he attacked Southern California's established gaming tribes, a Barstow area Citizen Activist and TheVerifiableTruth.com. He made outrageous claims against all three -- claims and half-truths he manufactured in a desperate attempt to defend his clients. Shields' made allegations and innuendos without ever providing any verifiable resources to back up his claims; or addressing his clients own shortcomings.

Shields and his Detroit clients have been pushing casinos in Barstow since 2001, and have failed to ever sit down with or negotiate with any of Southern California's existing tribes or any San Bernardino County tribes; rather the out of state casino syndicators have gone on the attack and have shown blatant disregard for the tribes' ancestral heritage.

Shields is so frazzled these days that in an interview regarding the Big Lagoon Rancheria, a tribe Shields' clients have adopted and want to relocate to Barstow some 750 miles from its reservation, he told the San Bernardino Sun:

"It's a settlement of this lawsuit for them to go to Barstow. That is the furthest thing from reservation shopping," Shields said. "They're not looking to be millionaires, they're just looking for an opportunity to become self-sufficient."

A) Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's negotiators made it clear previously that Big Lagoon shopped around for 20 acres in Humboldt County near its own Reservation but it couldn't find anything "suitable" -- read that as "as lucrative as Barstow." That's "reservation shopping." The Big Lagoon Rancheria doesn't need a casino on the Big Lagoon or anywhere else for its 20 members to be self-sufficient.

B) The 20 members for the Big Lagoon Rancheria, all part of tribal Chairman Virgil Moorehead's immediate family stand to become Millionaires -- Yes, Millionaires -- if they open a casino like Tom Shields' clients hope to build in Barstow. The Tribe already operates a million dollar hotel in Arcata, California and has purchased land valued at several million dollars in recent years. The Big Lagoon Rancheria has annual revenues that should provide each of its members with annual incomes far exceeding (four times) the median household income for California.

• A desperate Tom Shields was compelled to fly to Barstow in the middle of Summer to attack TheVerifiableTruth.com
• Barstow Attorney Dennis Whittlesey says tribes can't build casinos outside of their ancestral territories
• DOI Associate Secretary encourages Big Lagoon Rancheria to re-consider casino location closer to reservation; discourages Barstow scheme
• Big Lagoon Rancheria has received $1.9 million in federal grants since 2000
• 'Disadvantaged' Tribe has amassed additional property valued at $2.65 million
• Even without Casino, Humboldt Tribe’s Standard of Living is four times greater than most California families
• Casino developer's fear of competition drives them to push for Barstow

Classic Dennis Whittlesey: "obtuse and evasive" and in reality representing special interests

from a post 7.30.07 by Mark Balenger at Casinofacts.org:

Thoughts on the BOS meeting of 7/24/2007

On to the BOS [Board of Selectmen] meeting. I don't know how to describe it. It was a presentation designed to sell the agreement and discredit the opposition.

I was very disappointed in Dennis Whittlesey. He was obtuse and evasive to specific and simple questions. [Apparently retained to represent the Town of Middleborough and its citizenry on the matter of a Mashpee Wampanoag casino in their community but clearly an advocate for a Middleborough Casino].

In an unbelievable exchange, Rich Young asked Whittlesey (and Selectman Adam Bond) if they knew what the average casino hotel comp rate was. The comp rate is the amount of rooms that are given out for free for promotions and other reasons. This of course will affect the 4% we get from room taxes since free rooms are not included. When Whittlesey didn't know the answer. Rich told them the amount of rooms that will be subject to the 4% tax could be as little as 10-32%, Whittlesey accused Rich of getting the information off of the CERA website.

CERA is a group that opposes Indian sovereignty and has nothing to do with gambling or details of gambling industry hotel data. The opposition has been trying to connect us with CERA and thereby paint us being involved with a group that is regarded as racist by Indian tribes.

It was an unbelievably transparent attack on Rich and the group.

I had 3 questions I wanted answered - I got the answer to one of them. The other two were not answered and I was finally silenced by Ms. Brunelle.

The three questions were:

1. The tribe pays 2 million for new police and EMS including salary and training. I wanted to verify that this 2 million dollar "benefit" becomes a 2 million dollar "cost" when the facility comes online. At this point, Adam attacked my credibility - telling everyone that I would be against the casino no matter how much money was offered. I think I actually saw Ruth G. wince at this point. I hearby publicly admit that there is no amount of money that would make me comfortable with exposing my fellow townspeople to the ravages of gambling addiction and accompanying social damage that goes along with a gambling casino.

2. I wanted a list of communities who were forced to have casinos even after they challenged the trust process. It was bordering on impossible to decipher to the rambling answer Whittlesey provided - but I believe that he couldn't answer the question. Despite a second attempt at asking it.

3. I asked how much money we would have gotten in last agreement - the Whittlesey agreement that was rejected on July 3, 2007. Again the question was not answered and I was silenced by Ms. Brunelle.

It's nice to see that the BOS is consistent in it's treatment of the unwashed masses who dare ask salient questions. Same old, same old.

We went up against the pro-casino's best and brightest [including attorney Dennis J. Whittlesey of the Dickinson Wright law firm] and had them stymied and flummoxed with simple straightforward questions. And we weren't even trying - just trying to get information so we can do an honest evaluation of the agreement.

Middleborough voters approve Mashpee Wampanoag casino agreement

7.29.07

Middleborough goes 'all in' Town OK's casino by 2-to-1 vote Volunteers counted the ballots inside Middleborough's high school. There were more than 3,700 ballots to count. (JOHN TLUMACKI/GLOBE STAFF) By Sean P. Murphy and Christine Wallgren, Globe Staff and Globe Correspondent | July 29, 2007 MIDDLEBOROUGH -- By a vote of 2,387 to 1,335, Middleborough residents yesterday approved a deal to bring the state's first casino to this mostly rural town south of Boston, capping a sometimes acrimonious local debate and dropping the future of casino gambling in Massachusetts into the lap of Governor Deval Patrick. Within minutes of the final tally, the five members of the Board of Selectmen signed a 21-page legal agreement that binds the town to support a $1 billion casino when the casino developers go to the state and federal governments for approval. "The town just took a giant step forward to preserve and enhance the town for its residents and their children," said Wayne Perkins, a longtime selectman. Glenn Marshall, Wampanoag tribal chairman, said it was "an exciting day for everyone. Now, it's time to sit down and negotiate with the governor." Noting that the ancestral grounds of the tribe include Middleborough, Marshall said, "We now have a home. The tribe's coming back home and I can't say how happy we are." Related content: Middleborough goes 'all in' PHOTO GALLERY: Voices of the voters It was a big decision for a small town Next steps PHOTO GALLERY: Middleborough rolls the dice In exchange for its support, the casino developers are promising the town $7 million a year in cash payments, plus revenues from a 4 percent lodging assessment when a planned 1,500 room hotel opens on the site. The tribe has also promised to make improvements in town roads and other infrastructure for the benefit of the casino, and to make a onetime $2 million payment for police and ambulance services. Middleborough, a town of about 22,000, is in dire financial straits. The town collects only $3.5 million in commercial and industrial annual taxes and is currently facing a $700,000 budget deficit. A Proposition 2 1/2 tax override for additional school funding was defeated in June. The $7 million would represent about 11 percent of the town's current $64 million budget. And if the lodging assessment tax produces another $4 million a year, the casino's contribution would be about 17 percent of the budget. (Complete Story )

Barstow Attorney Dennis Whittlesey now says tribes can't build casinos outside of their ancestral territories

Dennis Whittlesey has represented the City of Detroit and others including the City of Barstow, California where two tribes from opposite ends of California (Big Lagoon Rancheria from Humboldt County and the Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla and Cupeno Indians from San Diego County) are trying to get approvals to build side-by-side casinos up to 750 miles from their reservations that would be developed and managed by the same Detroit casino syndicators who were behind Detroit's MotorCity Casino. Those syndication interests are also behind plans to build a Bay Mills Indian Tribe casino 350 miles from its reservation in Port Huron, Michigan.

Oddly enough, there's no public record in Barstow or Port Huron in which Whittlesey advised clients or is on the record to indicate that he didn't believe casinos would be built outside a tribe's ancestral territories. Quite the contrary. In Barstow Whittlesey negotiated several municipal service agreements with two tribes that have no histories in the Mojave Desert area surrounding Barstow and reportedly worked behind the scenes in an attempt to block a tribe with ancestral ties to the Barstow area from moving forward with casino plans there.

Now Whittlesey, who recently came to represent the town of Middleborough, Massachusetts says tribes casn't go outside their aboriginal territories for the purpose of building casinos.

The following published 6.13.07 in the Boston Globe:

"Dennis Whittlesey, a Washington lawyer representing Middleborough in the negotiations, questioned the plausibility of allowing the tribe to open a casino in Boston. The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988, he pointed out, was aimed at restricting a tribe's gaming operations to the area considered the tribe's historical lands. Those lands extend from Mashpee throughout Southeastern Massachusetts.

" 'The chances of a casino in Boston is zero,' said Whittlesey, who has specialized in Indian gaming for more than 30 years.

"In three cases nationally, tribes with reservations have been allowed to purchase land outside their historical areas to open a casino. The Bush administration has announced it will not grant any such petitions for the remainder of its term in office.

" 'The Mashpee cannot go open a casino in downtown Chicago, and they cannot go open one in downtown Boston,' Whittlesey said."

This past year Whittlesey joined the Michigan based Dickinson Wright law firm in which former Detroit Mayor Dennis Archer is chairman.

Attorney Dennis Whittlesey to advise Mass. town on casino

About 600 people gathered outside Middleborough High School yesterday for a meeting on a proposed casino. (VINCE DEWITT FOR THE BOSTON GLOBE)

By Christine Wallgren, Globe Correspondent June 14, 2007

MIDDLEBOROUGH -- As residents voiced concerns about having a casino in town, selectmen voted last night to hire a lawyer well known in gaming circles to help them negotiate potential contracts with the Mashpee Wampanoags.

The presence of the lawyer, Dennis Whittlesey, at last night's meeting seemed to calm some residents, who were worried that the town was rushing into a pact without weighing citizen concerns.

Whittlesey applauded the town's attempt to work with the tribe.

"Frankly, once the land goes into trust, there is no obligation for the tribe to work with the community," he said. "It's a tremendous advantage to work on an agreement and walk together with the tribe to the secretary of the interior," who reviews applications to put land into federal trust and thereby remove it from state and local control.

Whittlesey, of the Washington, D.C. firm of Dickinson Wright, was invited to the meeting by Selectman Adam Bond. Whittlesey agreed to help fine-tune a recently produced draft agreement between the town and the tribe for a casino, a process he estimated would take about four weeks.

Officials did not indicate what he would be paid, but they recently got Town Meeting approval for $60,000 for casino-related negotiations... (Full Story)

www.CasinoFacts.org

You may also want to review these posts:

• The tangled web of Dennis J. Whittlesey and Ilitch agent Tom Shields
• Barstow’s attorney joins firm that represents various other interests of Barwest’s principals
• Voters & local officials questioned Gov. Engler's flip-flop on casino policy and the Port Huron casino deal he signed on his way out the door
• Dennis J. Whittlesey Joins Dickinson Wright in Washington, D.C.
• Dickinson Wright Broadens Its Gaming Law Expertise With Addition of Two Gaming Attorneys
• City seeks casino lawyer
• City could get casino lawyer
• Residents need more casino information
• Secrets of the MOU

The tangled web of Dennis J. Whittlesey and Ilitch agent Tom Shields

Dennis J. Whittlesey joins Dickinson Wright from the Washington, D.C. office Jackson Kelly PLLC. His areas of practice emphasis are Indian law, Indian gaming law, civil litigation and environmental law. Mr. Whittlesey has more than 25 years of experience in developing economic projects, including casinos, for Indian tribes in the United States and Canada. He has served as Special Counsel for Gaming to the cities of Detroit, Michigan; Buffalo, New York; Battle Creek, Michigan; Lima, Ohio and Barstow, California, as well as a number of counties in California, Illinois and Michigan.

Note: ironically Tom Shields (Marketing Resource Group; Lansing, Michigan), longtime PR/Political strategists for Marian Ilitch, the Ilitch Family and Michael J. Malik, Sr. has represented casino proponents in a number of the cases where Mr. Whittlesey has been recommended or brought in to represent the local government's interests in negotiations with casino proponents.

Shields' clients end up covering costs of Whittlesey's services via reimbursement to the local governmental agency intended to cover fees billed under Whittlesey's retainer arrangments.

Mr. Whittlesey received J.D. and LL.M. degrees from Georgetown University Law Center, and a B.A. degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma. He is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia and Oklahoma, as well as the U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. Tax Court and U.S. Claims Court. He is a member of the International Association of Gaming Attorneys and a past Chairman of the Young Lawyers Association of The Federal Bar Association. He has been named one of the "Best Lawyers in America" from 2005 to the present for his work in Indian law and Indian gaming law.

Dickson Wright attorneys have represented casino syndcation partners Marian Ilitch and Michael J. Malik, Sr. on various matters prior to Whittlesey joining the firm.

Barstow’s attorney joins firm that represents various other interests of Barwest’s principals

Attorney previously retained to represent the City of Barstow (CA) in contract negotiations and due diligence on twin Indian casinos proposed by a Detroit casino syndication has now joined a Michigan-based law firm with ties to the casino syndicators’ other business interests.

Dennis Whittlesey, an attorney reportedly experienced in Indian casino matters was recommended and retained to represent the City of Barstow in negotiations for municipal service agreements (MSAs) with Indian tribes that have agreed to partner with Detroit-based Barwest LLC.

Barwest has proposed side by side twin casino resorts for the Big Lagoon Rancheria and Los Coyotes Band of Indians in the remote Mojave Desert community. Barwest has the exclusive development and management rights for the twin casino resorts. While Whittlesey was representing the City in negotiations with Barwest and partners; Barwest was fronting Whittlesey’s legal fees on the City’s behalf.

Detroit business people Michael Malik and Marian Ilitch are the principals behind the Barwest casino syndication.

As it ends up, Whittlesey has joined the Michigan-based firm Dickinson Wright PLLC. The firm/attorneys represent a development partnership with Michael Malik (Tim Stoepker & Grosse Pointe Development/Lucky 7 Development LLC); and interests affiliated with Detroit’s Ilitch Family including Little Caesars Enterprises and Detroit Entertainment LLC (dba MotorCity Casino); as well as MGM Mirage/Mandalay Resort Group (the Las Vegas companies affiliated with Kirk Kerkorian that agreed to sell its majority shares in Detroit’s MotorCity Casino to the Ilitch Family in 2005.)

• Dickinson Wright Broadens Its Gaming Law Expertise With Addition of Two Gaming Attorneys

• Dennis J. Whittlesey Joins Dickinson Wright in Washington, D.C.

Voters & local officials questioned Gov. Engler's flip-flop on casino policy and the Port Huron casino deal he signed on his way out the door.

September 26, 2002

Vanderbilt residents voice casino opinions
- Some are unhappy, some are pleased that town may not get casino

By DAN SANDERSON
Record-Eagle staff writer

VANDERBILT - Vanderbilt officials and residents want some explanations from Gov. John Engler and the Bay Mills Indian Community on their recent pact that would allow the tribe to build a casino in Port Huron …

... The pact would settle a Bay Mills land claim to 110 acres of state and private land in the Charlotte Beach area in the Upper Peninsula's Chippewa County. In return, the tribe would be allowed to take land for a casino in Port Huron into trust through the federal Department of Interior.

Previously Gov. Engler wrote:
"...the Bay Mills Tribe in using the Charlotte Beach homeowners as political pawns. Make no mistake about it - Congressman Stupak's proposal is solely about trying to give the Bay Mills Tribe an otherwise illegal casino in Otsego County."

"...the state of Michigan has stood by these properly owners since day one, defended them in court, and won the dismissal of the Bay Mills lawsuit against the Charlotte Beach owners. I have no doubt that this dismissal will hold up on appeal..."

The pact hinges on congressional approval of a bill introduced by U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Lansing. Rep. David Bonior, D-Mt. Clemens is expected to introduce companion legislation in the House of Representatives.

Tom Shields, president of the Lansing-based Marketing Resource Group, confirmed Wednesday that the proposal to build in Vanderbilt is no longer on the table.

"The basic feeling is that they're still very interested in Vanderbilt and would like to do something there in the future, but the economics of the Port Huron location were too good to ignore," Shields said.

Note:
Shields is the long-time political/PR guru for the Ilitch Family and often spokesman for their various enterprises and front groups. At least 2/3rds of his Lansing PR firm's clients have some affiliation with the Ilitch Family.

His quote makes it clear that the Bay Mills Indians and their financial backers, The Ilitch Family & associates, were looking to leverage the land claims for the most lucrative highly trafficked urban location.

The agreement with Engler limits Bay Mills to three casinos in the state and does not permit more electronic gaming facilities besides the three in Detroit and 20 tribal casinos across the state. Bay Mills has two casinos in Brimley …

… "This is a unique opportunity that presented itself that would settle the land claim, bring years of litigation to a close and limit the Bay Mills tribe to three casinos in the state," said Susan Schafer, Engler's spokesperson.

Stupak said he would back Stabenow's bill "if she can move it."

"I appreciate the governor's help in resolving this issue," he said…

But Governor Enlger had previously written:
"...I find it remarkable that Congressman Stupak would step in at this late date and join with the Bay Mills Tribe in using the Charlotte Beach homeowners as political pawns. Make no mistake about it - Congressman Stupak's proposal is solely about trying to give the Bay Mills Tribe an otherwise illegal casino in Otsego County."

"...the state of Michigan ... won the dismissal of the Bay Mills lawsuit against the Charlotte Beach owners. I have no doubt that this dismissal will hold up on appeal..."

… Gayle and Dave Embree, who operate a small grocery store, were split on their support of a Vanderbilt casino…

Gayle said she hoped the casino would help the schools and village financially and questioned why Engler changed his stance on the expansion of casinos.

"He said he could not justify any more casinos and now that his term is up - boom - Port Huron gets one," Gayle said.

Meanwhile, Port Huron officials expressed surprise and disappointment over Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's plan to fight their efforts to open a casino. And gaming experts said Port Huron has several hurdles to face, including Detroit's opposition.

Dennis Whittlesey, a Washington gaming expert, said Detroit lobbyists could make it tough to gain congressional approval for the casino agreement between Gov. John Engler and the Bay Mills Indian Community. (FULL STORY)

http://www.gtherald.com/2002/sep/26reax.htm

You may also want to review these posts:
The Verifiable Truth: Port Huron struggles, is worthy of a break; but editor fails to recognize local casino plan has national shockwaves, which supersede local needs
The Verifiable Truth: in Governor John Engler's opinion, "Michigan has enough casinos"
The Verifiable Truth: Aide negotiated '11th Hour' Port Huron casino deal for Gov. Engler; then returned to private practice, retained by those who got the deal

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