Des Moines, Iowa
Monday, special prosecutor, Lawrence Scalise, filed charges against two gambling groups and four men involved in campaign contributions make to Iowa Governor Chet Culver. The gaming interests were for a casino deal in Fort Dodge, Iowa (Webster County). The charges were filed in Polk County District Court. Attorney General Tom Miller appointed Scalise in July after questions and concerns were voiced regarding campaign contributions from the group and individuals who were seeking a state gambling license.
Those who were charged were: M. Brent Stevens (chief executive officer of Peninsula Gaming); Jonathan Swain (chief operating officer of Peninsula Gaming); Curtis Beason (a Davenport attorney); Steven Daniel (a Fort Dodge businessman who headed Webster County Entertainment); Peninsula Gaming; and Webster County Entertainment. Charges of willful failure to disclose a campaign contribution also fall on the defendants. Beason was additionally charged with a single count of obstruction for his alleged production of altered documents which contained false statements given to investigators. This charge also alleges that Beason provided false statements to law enforcement officials.
Stevens, Swain, Beason, and Daniel, will be arraigned at 8 a.m. on November 1, 2010.
Culver not charged
Iowa's governor was highly involved in urging the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission to approve four pending applications for casino licenses, including an application for Peninsula Gaming and Webster County Entertainment. Culver's campaign released a statement Monday afternoon stating, "We are pleased but not surprised that the findings confirm what we have been saying all along. No one...did anything wrong; we complied with all campaign finance laws."
According to Culver's campaign, the $25,000 from three casino supporters were donated to charity. At the time the alleged donation to charity was given specifically and split evenly between Door of Faith, Churches United and St. Vincent de Paul. After hearing of the DCI investigation, the Door of Faith homeless shelther in Des Moines, returned the money to Culver's office.
Initially Culver stated that he did not receive the donations, but his campaign later corrected the statements in May. Donn Stanley stated that Culver had made an error in April, when it was made public that the Governor had not contacted anyone associated to a casino license application after it had been filed. Culver had indeed met with casino backers. It is unclear what the Culver campaign did with the donation returned to them from the Door of Faith.
Court documents list James Larew (Culver's chief of staff) and the Governor as witnesses for the prosecution.
Culver's opponent in the gubernatorial race this year, Terry Branstad, continued to suggest impropriety on Culver's part.
“Iowans can draw their own conclusions about the circumstances surrounding this pay-for-play scandal and whether or not this passes the smell test,” Branstad campaign spokesman Tim Albrecht told the press.
Iowans' Reactions
The following responses were made to the Central Iowa Politics Examiner via web-mail following the press release that Culver would not be charged with the casino backers.
Casino interests in Iowa lead to corruption due to the amount of money involved. It isn't surprising to me that a state official would get involved with such interests because gambling money is often used to support public projects that the state can't pay for through normal channels and budget restrictions. Branstad got Iowa into the casino business. Why wouldn't Culver do the same and more? - J. Wallace
I don't believe a word he [Culver] says. First he said he didn't talk to these crooks. Then he has someone say that he did, and that he made a mistake. Then he gave it up to charity. I think he didn't want to get caught red handed, so he just got rid of the money to charities. I don't know if that is legal or not but I think Culver should answer that question. - Mary in Grimes
The governor did the right thing. He knew it was not right to take the money. He gave it away. He shouldn't be held responsible for a group that wanted to bribe him. - Chad / West Des Moines
Culver got caught with his hands in the cookie jar. It's obvious that is why he was so upset when no one got a casino license except Lyon County. He knew that he had made promises to the Ft. Dodge group and that they'd given him money for his re election run. He can't win the election fair and square because everyone knows that with the state budget issues, across the board job cuts, film fiasco and people running from his office, he's not honest. He is the wrong person to lead the state. - Harry M.
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This Examiner covers U.S. and Iowa politics that are important to central Iowans. The focus is on how central Iowa is affected and how the local community relates to local, state, and national political issues. Iowa counties which are included in central Iowa coverage are within the 3rd and 4th Congressional District: Polk, Jasper, Poweshiek, Marion, Mahaska, Tama, Marshall, Story, Boone, Dallas, Madison, Warren.
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Comments
It is dispectable that Culver LIED again about receiving money contributions from the gambling facilities. Culver should always be aware of where the money comes from & who donated. Why did he leave it up to someone else to correct his dishonesty. He has the guts to accuse Branstad of being dishonest when Culver should really take a good look @ himself in the mirror as I don't think he ever remembers what he tells Iowans & then contradicts what he actually said. Why should anyone trust him what-so-ever....let his actions & behavior speak for itself. In my opinion, he should also be charged for taking this money & donating it to someone else - BUT yet he denied accepting this in the first place - so how did he give the dirty money to someone else. That tells me right there that he is a LIAR & does NOT deserve to serve Iowans out all. We all need to look @ the facts here & beat his Lying rear- end right out of office. For those who support Culver should have their heads examined & he is filling them with total lies & why doesn't Culver display the financial books to the register for all Iowans to see - if he thinks he is being honest - why doesn't he - is because he is bluffing all of us. Why didn't he donate the money to the Education fund or the Police Dept or the Fire Department where they can rehire those who have been booted out of there jobs & put them back into them....because his priorities are not what they should be for Iowans. I will NEVER VOTE for this man & it was a huge mistake to put him into office. Let's get someone in there that truly knows why Iowans need & correct this darn mess we are into & has plenty of experience. Think people - who is being brain washed here
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