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Trump Named in Inquiry

CONNECTICUT – As reported by the New York Times: "Donald Trump and other major casino investors have quietly spent tens of millions of dollars to help Indian groups in Connecticut finance campaigns aimed at winning federal recognition as Indian tribes, according to testimony on Wednesday before a House committee.

"The disclosure, made before the House Committee on Government Reform, gets to the heart of a major concern of critics who say private investors like Mr. Trump are bankrolling the efforts of would-be tribes in the hopes of grabbing a share of the Indian gambling industry. Federal tribal recognition allows Indian tribes to build casinos.

"…[Jeff Benedict, the founder of the Connecticut Alliance Against Casino Expansion] testified that four major financiers, including Mr. Trump, had spent nearly $35 million in Connecticut alone helping several groups win tribal recognition from the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs.

"Arguing that the situation in Connecticut is part of a larger pattern of abuse, he cited statistics showing that 291 groups nationwide are seeking federal recognition as tribes and that an estimated two-thirds of them have entered private deals with investors who want a cut of the $15 billion that is wagered annually in Indian-run casinos.

"But Lyle Berman, whose company has spent about $4 million in helping the Nipmuc Nation in Connecticut petition for federal tribal recognition, offered no apologies for trying to become the tribe's partner in any future casino operation.

"Moreover, he said that his company was performing a valuable service by helping the Nipmucs pay for the expensive legion of historians, lobbyists and lawyers they need to help them navigate the complex tribal-recognition process…"

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