Former Indiana congressman pleads guilty to casino conspiracy
Former state Representative Sean Eberhart will plead in Indianapolis federal court on conspiracy charges, according to a report by IndyStar. Eberhart, who was a General Assembly official from 2007 to 2022, is facing allegations that casino operator Spectacle Entertainment influenced a gaming bill to help win $350,000 in business contracts in return.
Continued Claims:
The indictment against Everhart reportedly continues to link the state legislature to the already sentenced Spectator. Two other lawmakers have pleaded guilty to corruption charges related to Spectator's predecessor, New Centore LLC, according to sources.
Claiming Influence on Casino Bill:
Former Republican Congressman Sean Eberhart was charged in 2019 with participating in the application to license two casinos, one in downtown Gary and the other in Terre Haute casinos, to the Indiana Gaming Commission. According to an Indista report, General Assembly officials helped operators pass the necessary legislation at the General Assembly and relocate casinos to more than one in Lake Gary Michigan. The source says Eberhart also played a key role in lowering the transfer fees for two of Spectacle's casinos from $100 million to $20 million.
Charges:
Sources say the operator's predecessor, New Centauer LLC, has a history of misconduct. The company's founder and CEO, Rod Ratcliffe, sold Centauer to Caesars Entertainment in 2018 and founded Spectacular Entertainment. The company said it had already involved Everhart in negotiations with the 2019 General Assembly, which affected the law in May 2019. However, as a result, Everhart is now under indictment.
Past prosecution:
Other Kentaur-related cases that allegedly prosecuted state representatives include former Senator Brent Waltz and State Representative John Keeler. According to reports, state officials were accused of using more than $40,000 from the company in a political campaign in 2015. Sources say Ratcliffe has never been charged with any crime. Waltz and Keeler, on the other hand, pleaded guilty and claimed that they were used as political donations for tax fraud that occurred in Kentaur's 2016 tax returns.
A series of controversial cases:
A series of controversial incidents have occurred, including flying private jets for politicians, lucrative legal contracts for House members, and involvement in state officials for company services. The Indiana State Auditor reportedly found no violations in these activities, but this resulted in some state officials resigning and retiring. 바카라사이트
Former state Representative Sean Eberhart will reportedly file conspiracy charges in connection with allegations that he played a role in passing legislation in favor of the Spectator Casino operator and its founder and CEO, Rod Ratcliffe, in 2019.