Casino Developers in Cedar Rapids Allegedly Made ‘Illegal’ Political Contributions

Two casino executives placed in charge of overseeing development of a Cedar Rapids casino allegedly made illegal political contributions in late 2009 to then-Governor Chet Culver’s unsuccessful re-election campaign.

From the Gazette:

What caused the stir in Culver’s 2010 campaign was centrally this: that Peninsula Gaming Partners LLC and its two top executives provided $25,000 for the Culver campaign contribution to those in Fort Dodge who wanted Peninsula to build a casino there, and the Fort Dodge backers then made the contribution to the Culver campaign in their name, not in the name of Peninsula or its executives.

A governor does not have a say in the granting of state gaming licenses, though the governor appoints the five members of the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission.

- Aaron Goldstein, Gambling911.com