Harrah’s officers, employees agree they’ll register as lobbyists after all

24.06.2003, Lesen Sie hier den Bericht über «Harrah’s officers, employees agree they’ll register as lobbyists after all».

Their arguments about not being lobbyists having fallen on deaf ears in the Secretary of State's office, officers and employees of Harrah's Entertainment Inc. have agreed to register as lobbyists. That means they will have to provide the state with periodic updates on how much they are being paid and how much they are spending in their efforts to convince the General Assembly and Gov. Donald L. Carcieri to allow the public to vote on a Narragansett Indian casino in West Warwick. "We're going to go ahead and register," local attorney and registered Harrah's lobbyist Devereaux told The Times on Tuesday. He joked that Harrah's "would have spent considerably more money listening to my advice" about how to fight the issue than paying the $25 filing fee.

Last week, Devereaux wrote to Secretary of State Matt Brown, saying that CEO Gary Loveman, Vice President for Communications and Government Relations Jan Jones, Vice President for Government Relations and Development David Satz and former Boston Celtics star Kevin Stacom, an independent contractor working for the Las Vegas-based gambling giant, are not "persons engaged in lobbying as the 'appointed representatives' of another person." "It is respectfully submitted," Devereaux's letter reads, "that the contact between corporate employees and a non-legislative consultant with members of the Rhode Island General Assembly and the office of governor, either through testimony at hearings or at occasional briefings, attended with Harrah's registered lobbyists, does not subject the individuals addressed in your letter to the Rhode Island Lobbying Act."

Apparently unfazed by the company's protests, Brown's response was to schedule a series of hearings to determine whether the four were violating state law and therefore subject to fines to be assessed by his office. The fines, according to Brown spokesman Peter Kerwin, could run as high as $1,000 per each filing deadline missed. "Harrah's has provided us with information about the activities of several of their employees and those activities appear to meet the definition of lobbying," Brown said in a prepared statement on Monday. "For that reason, in keeping with the procedures set forth in the lobbying laws, we are moving forward with hearings," Brown said at the time.

Those hearings -- the first was scheduled for June 26, with one per week after that -- are now off, according to Kerwin "The whole goal was to get compliance," Kerwin said Tuesday. "The goal was to get the information and make sure the documents are filed." "Lobbyists have serious influence over the decisions being made in the Statehouse, decisions that affect our lives," Brown said. "The public has a right to know who is lobbying and how much they are spending. That is why lobbyists are required to file public disclosure forms."

Devereaux said Harrah's officials "were somewhat surprised by the response" from the secretary of state. He said he thought he had made it clear in his letter to Brown that, "whatever you decide, we'll abide by it. I made a point of saying we weren't going to make a federal case out of it." Stacom, who Devereaux said, "was engaged by Harrah's solely to assist in non-legislative relationships with the tourism and hospitality industries as well as with the Narragansett Indian Tribe," Harrah's partner in a proposed West Warwick casino project, filed his papers in the secretary's office on Tuesday.

Daniel Bucci, CEO of Lincoln Park who attended many of the same meetings and hearings as the Harrah's people to inveigh against the casino Harrah's wants to build, filed lobbyist disclosure forms last week after hearing from Brown.

Über Harrah's Operating Company, Inc.:

Founded in 1937, Harrah´s Entertainment, Inc. is the world´s largest casino operator.

We operate 28 casinos in 12 states under the Harrah´s, Harveys, Horseshoe, Rio, and Showboat brand names. Our goal is to provide great customer service in exciting and entertaining environments, and become your overwhelming first choice for casino entertainment.

We concentrate on building loyalty and value for our customers, shareholders, employees, business partners, and communities by being the most service- oriented, technology-driven, geographically-diversified company in gaming. Enjoy your visit to our site. We look forward to your comments about us.

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