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State Treasurer McCord withdraws from gaming board sessions on Philly casino [The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review :: ](Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (PA) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Feb. 12--HARRISBURG -- State Treasurer Rob McCord, who waged a legal battle to attend executive sessions as a non-voting member of the Gaming Control Board, has told the board chairman he will not participate in closed-door sessions about applications for a second casino in Philadelphia. McCord, a Democratic candidate for governor, said he did so in "an abundance of caution." He received more than $57,000 from law firms and lobbyists representing gambling interests in 2011 and 2012. It is legal for him to do so and doesn't violate the agency's Code of Ethics, said Doug Harbach, a board spokesman. McCord sued the board in May 2010 and signed a February 2012 settlement agreement to abide by its ethics policy. Commonwealth Court ruled he has the right to participate in the board's executive sessions. Christopher Craig, McCord's chief counsel, in large part wrote the 2004 gaming law as a lawyer for ex-Sen. Vincent Fumo. Craig wrote a letter on McCord's behalf to William H. Ryan Jr., the board chairman on Jan. 27, noting that although McCord has a right to full participate, he "recognizes that as a candidate for elective office, his participation in private deliberations concerning the competing merits of casino license applications may unfairly subject the board to claims of undue influence by disappointed applicants or those seeking political advantage." Records show McCord received more than $143,000 from "licensed entity representatives," the law firms and lobbyists representing gambling interests, from 2007 through 2012. McCord is one of seven Democrats running for governor in the May 20 primary. He was the top vote-getter among six of those candidates at Democratic State Committee last Saturday, though he didn't meet the two-thirds vote threshold needed for endorsement. The Democratic nominee will face Republican Gov. Tom Corbett in November. McCord, Revenue Secretary Dan Meuser and Agriculture Secretary George Greig are the gambling board's non-voting members. The board has seven voting members, including four appointees of House and Senate leaders and three gubernatorial appointees. McCord's office portrayed his legal battle to attend executive sessions as a fight for transparency. "Before he won the right to participate, the board was much less transparent," said his spokesman Gary Tuma. In response, the board's attorneys argued the "participation of the treasurer, an elected official dependent on campaign contributions, taints the board with, at the very least, an appearance of corruption and could erode public confidence in the oversight of gaming, contrary to the express intent of the General Assembly." The court didn't agree, Tuma said, and the Commonwealth Court decision found no "appearance of impropriety." "While he does not have a vote ,he does have influence over gambling entities," Barry Kauffman, executive director of Common Cause of Pennsylvania, said of McCord. Still, said Tuma, McCord "doesn't feel there's a conflict of interest," Tuma said. Tuma said law firms and lobbying firms representing gaming companies have wide-ranging interests beyond gambling. He noted that politicians who appoint voting and non-voting board members accept campaign contributions and may have received them from some of those firms. The board oversees 12 casinos. One casino is operating in Philadelphia, SugarHouse. The 2004 state law specified two in that city and five applicants are vying for the second license. Most licenses were awarded in 2006. McCord became treasurer in January 2009. Brad Bumsted and Melissa Daniels are Trib Total Media staff writers. Reach Bumsted at 717-787-1405 or [email protected], and Daniels at 412-380-8511 or [email protected]. ___ (c)2014 The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (Greensburg, Pa.) Visit The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (Greensburg, Pa.) at www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib Distributed by MCT Information Services |