Gaming Control Board screw-ups continue

A number of PA House Republicans are calling for PA AG Tom Corbett to investigate the Gaming Control Board (as if he didn’t already have enough government officials to investigate), in response to a Morning Call article claiming the Gaming Board revised the application for Louis DeNaples, after conferring with DeNaples’ attorneys, in ways that made him seem less criminal:

DeNaples’ final background report included only brief references to what BIE had uncovered about DeNaples, including alleged ties to reputed mobster William D’Elia, questionable campaign contributions to Gov. Ed Rendell and others by some of DeNaples’ businesses, and the purchase and resale of trucks damaged by Hurricane Katrina by a company DeNaples co-owns.

The Board has since stripped DeNaples of his license, after he was charged with perjury for lying about his ties to organized crime. In addition to calling for an investigation, they asked for a special committee to review the Gaming Control Board operations (which John Micek thinks there is no need for, since the Morning Call can do that work for them). Their letter also reveals that the US Attorney General is some guy named Mukasey …I had no idea.

If only someone had warned lawmakers that giving away monopoly slots licenses to politically chosen interests, instead of to the highest bidder, would lead to corruption … oh yeah, right.