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Governor Rendell Pushes Casino-Donor Rules

PENNSYLANIA – As reported by the Pennsylvania Morning Call: "While school districts pondered their tax-shifting fates and the state Supreme Court considered the constitutionality of the law legalizing slot machines, Gov. Ed Rendell was in Las Vegas raising funds from gambling companies.

"Act 71, which legalized up to 61,000 slot machines around Pennsylvania, prohibits elected state officials from accepting political contributions from gambling executives or employees. But Gov. Rendell wasn't raising cash for himself. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported he was fund-raising for the Democratic Governors' Association.

"…The governor's spokeswoman, Kate Philips, says her boss can't benefit from money raised by the DGA because state law prohibits politicians from accepting money from corporations, even if they get it indirectly. But state campaign records for 2002 and 2003 show that Gov. Rendell received $482,000 from the DGA and the governor, who is up for re-election in 2006, ostensibly would seek financial help from the organization again…"

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