Indiana Governor Holcomb says he’s staying out of the way of an Indiana Gaming Commission review of an Indiana casino operator’s connection to a campaign finance scandal.
Holcomb says the commission was right to put Spectacle Entertainment’s bid to run the new Terre Haute casino on hold while it looks into campaign finance accusations. He says he won’t comment further until that review is complete.
Spectacle also owns Gary’s Majestic Star Casino, and has begun construction on a new inland casino there. The company is run by former executives of Centaur Gaming, which owned the racetrack casinos in Anderson and Shelbyville before selling those properties in 2018.
On Friday, a Maryland political consultant pleaded guilty in Virginia to conspiring to funnel Centaur money from through straw donors to the 2016 congressional campaign of Greenwood Senator Brent Waltz. Federal prosecutors describe Centaur’s vice president and general counsel as a co-conspirator. Former Indianapolis Representative John Keeler held those titles, and now holds the same positions with Spectacle.
Two other officers of the consulting firm have pleaded guilty to other campaign finance-related charges. No charges have been filed so far against anyone with Spectacle.
