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Court reduces Illinois casinos' award in case linked to Blagojevich scandal
Source: Reuters
World | Tue Aug 2, 2016 11:17pm EDT
Court reduces Illinois casinos' award in case linked to Blagojevich scandal
A federal appeals court reduced an award to Illinois casinos on Tuesday, ruling in a lawsuit that arose from the corruption scandal that toppled then-Governor Rod Blagojevich that the jury wrongly found a "pattern" of racketeering activity.
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Tuesday's ruling, that reduced the award from $77 million to $26 million, stems from a case that pitted casinos against racetracks amid a swirl of political hand wringing in the financially struggling Midwestern U.S. state.
In 2008, horse racetrack executive John Johnston promised a $100,000 campaign contribution to then-governor Blagojevich in exchange for signing a proposal to tax the largest casinos in the state for "the direct benefit of the Illinois horseracing industry," the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals wrote in its opinion.
After Blagojevich's 2008 arrest, Empress Casino Joliet Corp and other casinos affected by the tax sued Balmoral Racing Club, Inc, Maywood Park Trotting Association, Inc., and Blagojevich himself alleging a conspiracy to violate the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, or RICO, among other claims.
[font size=1]-snip-[/font]
Court reduces Illinois casinos' award in case linked to Blagojevich scandal
A federal appeals court reduced an award to Illinois casinos on Tuesday, ruling in a lawsuit that arose from the corruption scandal that toppled then-Governor Rod Blagojevich that the jury wrongly found a "pattern" of racketeering activity.
[font size=1]-snip-[/font]
Tuesday's ruling, that reduced the award from $77 million to $26 million, stems from a case that pitted casinos against racetracks amid a swirl of political hand wringing in the financially struggling Midwestern U.S. state.
In 2008, horse racetrack executive John Johnston promised a $100,000 campaign contribution to then-governor Blagojevich in exchange for signing a proposal to tax the largest casinos in the state for "the direct benefit of the Illinois horseracing industry," the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals wrote in its opinion.
After Blagojevich's 2008 arrest, Empress Casino Joliet Corp and other casinos affected by the tax sued Balmoral Racing Club, Inc, Maywood Park Trotting Association, Inc., and Blagojevich himself alleging a conspiracy to violate the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, or RICO, among other claims.
[font size=1]-snip-[/font]
Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-illinois-casinos-blagojevich-idUSKCN10E0B3
