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GOP leaders want Washington state tribal casino inquiry

"After a report in Friday's Seattle P-I raised questions about details of the compact and campaign contributions to Democrats and Gregoire from the tribes, Republicans said they have concerns "both with regard to lack of legislative oversight and the appearance of a conflict between the governor's role as both chief negotiator and campaign benefactor."

"In a letter, Senate Minority Leader Mike Hewitt, R-Walla Walla, and House Deputy Republican Leader Doug Ericksen, R-Ferndale, asked House Speaker Frank Chopp, D-Seattle, and Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown, D-Spokane, to 'immediately convene a bipartisan task force to conduct a fact-finding investigation and answer questions that have been raised.'

"They want to know:

"- Why, while intervening in negotiations, did the governor turn away hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue sharing when her own Gambling Commission and the Spokane Tribe had already reached agreement on such a plan?

"- What were the communications between the governor and staff and the Spokane Tribe between 2005 and 2006 that led to the elimination of revenue sharing?

"- Which tribes, if any, requested that the governor's office step in to strike revenue sharing from the tribal compact?

"- Were there promises of campaign support, or other inducements, made by the tribes to any representatives of the governor, including party officials, in exchange for the governor's action to drop state revenue sharing, while expanding the authorization for slots, higher stakes wagering and off-reservation gaming sites?

"- What was the state's estimate of annual revenue that would have come to the state had Gregoire approved the original Gambling Commission compact with the Spokane Tribe, which included revenue sharing?..."

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