a federal grand jury slapped an Indiana casino exec with additional expense Tuesday for their so-called character in a strategy to channel casino cash into an ex-state senator’s failed venture for Congress.
John Keeler was already dealing with four federal charges for allegedly dealing with out-of-state governmental professionals to hire straw donors after latest fees are unveiled this week. Those straw donors funded previous county Republican Sen. Brent Waltz’s congressional strategy in 2015. They were next refunded with resources from Keeler’s casino company New Centaur LLC, in accordance with federal prosecutors.
In a 2016 business income tax return for New Centaur’s mother team Centaur Holdings, Keeler indexed a $41,000 providers payment into the out-of-state governmental experts as an allowable cost. The guy furthermore amended a corporate taxation return from 2015 to feature deductions for $79,500 in business money towards specialists.
But bodies think those money just weren’t deductible spending after all. They think these were resources the consultants routed into Waltz’s venture coffers through straw donors, which may cause them to become political benefits. Strategy benefits can not be indexed as a company cost under federal laws.
Nov casino heavyweights
Keeler, a lawyer and previous Republican member of the Indiana home of Representatives, provides conducted major positions within the state’s casino business. After brand new Centaur LLC had been sold for $1.7 billion to Las 
Vegas-based Caesars recreation in 2018, he accompanied forces with another Indiana casino giant, Rod Ratcliff, to introduce Spectacle activity.
Keeler got the performing vice-president and common counsel for Spectacle whenever indictment against him and Waltz, that is additionally becoming prosecuted for their role within the illegal share strategy, got unsealed in federal judge a year ago. Keeler took management allow through the business after the indictment.
Spectacle combined with Hard Rock Global in 2019 to cultivate two latest casinos in Gary and Terre Haute. Per year later, the Indiana video gaming percentage stripped Keeler and Ratcliff regarding games permits responding to federal and state research shadowing her company. Ratcliff is not faced with any crimes.
Hard Rock worldwide keeps since ordered a big part risk inside the Hard-rock Casino in Gary, essentially taking over the facility from Spectacle.
Spectacle was actually massively influential on laws nearby Indiana’s casino field throughout the short course it actually was operate by Keeler and Ratcliff. The firm lobbied the governor and condition lawmakers to evolve state legislation and invite Spectacle to maneuver a couple of their Gary casino certificates to a lot more seriously moved segments.
Lawmakers in addition reduced a charge Spectacle had to shell out towards the Indiana video gaming fee for building a unique casino in Gary from $100 million to $20 million.
Personal routes for Holcomb
IndyStar reported Ratcliff managed Gov. Eric Holcomb to two personal jet aircraft in 2018 across time Spectacle had been pushing for improvement to state gaming law. The vacations are reported as an element of half a million bucks Ratcliff and his organizations added in 2018 into the Republican Governors relationship, a lot more than just about any some other casino agent or Indiana providers.
The relationship provided $7.6 million to Holcomb’s 2016 operate for governor, that makes it an important monetary backer of his venture. An ethics assessment by Indiana Inspector standard discover Holcomb couldn’t make any wrongdoing since aircraft, of directed to Republican Governors connection activities, are provided to the organization rather than Holcomb’s workplace.
“it really is the goals,” Keeler said, when called by IndyStar in 2019 within his role as Spectacle’s general counsel. “We are part of the RGA. We had an extra seat or two from the airplane, the governor travelled alongside united states. Perhaps not an issue.”
The second hearing in the case against Keeler and Waltz are booked Oct. 14 inside the national courthouse in Indianapolis.