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Illinois Attorney General Against Rosemont Deal

"Published reports said Gaming Board administrator Philip Parenti had worked out a $615 million deal for Las Vegas-based MGM Mirage to take over the shuttered Emerald casino's defunct license, with the state receiving $160 million from the settlement.

"But the Gaming Board -- which voted last year to reject Emerald's license, claiming the company had ties to organized crime and lied to investigators -- should instead proceed with its petition to deny the license, Ryan said.

"…Ryan would not say whether he would seek to block a potential sale. He said his duty as attorney general was to represent the state -- including the Gaming Board in a lawsuit filed by Emerald -- but has directed his staff to `look into what I can and can't do as attorney general.'

"…On Monday, three top assistants to Ryan attended a 4-hour closed-door Gaming Board meeting during which Parenti gave members an in-depth report on litigation involving Emerald, Gaming Board spokesman Gene O'Shea said.

"He would not say whether the reported deal was discussed, nor whether members discussed a federal grand jury subpoena issued to the board last Tuesday for all records of the proposed casino.

"…Since the license was rejected, Gov. George Ryan has replaced four of the five members who took that vote, and the former administrator left the board last fall…"

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