Casino news from http://www.yakima-herald.com/
Yakama tribal leaders have reinstated the Legends Casino' s board of directors after being removed nearly two years ago for allegedly overstepping its bounds and inappropriate spending.
The board's five members have disputed the charges, saying the removal was an effort to block an audit of casino operations they had initiated.
Board member Jake Mann said Tuesday he was happy with the July 19 reinstatement because the board didn't do anything wrong.
"I feel pretty good," he said.
Accusing board members of assuming hiring and firing duties, retaining attorneys, purchasing office furniture and making direct contributions to tribal programs without approval, the Tribal Council in October 2004 voted 9-4 to remove the entire board, which oversees casino management and daily operations, such as food and beverage sales and entertainment.
Following the board's suspension, former Tribal Council executive officers Jerry Meninick, Virgil Lewis and Davis Washines assumed the board's role on an interim bases, but a new board was never installed.
The decision to reinstate the board comes after the three Tribal Council executive officers were removed last year for pushing through, without membership approval, the tribe's purchase of the Sun Kings Continental Basketball Association team.
Casino board members not only lost their jobs, but also had their gaming licenses revoked. Federal gaming rules require all casino employees to hold gaming licenses.
For reasons that were unclear, Mann said at least two gaming commissioners are reluctant to reissue the board members their gaming licenses.
However, suspended board member Warren Spencer Sr. recently was elected to the tribal gaming commission and had his gaming license reinstated for that post.
Portland-based National Indian Gaming Commission Regional Director Randy Sitton visited the tribe earlier this week over the matter, but said he couldn't comment on internal issues.
While the national commission makes recommendations on gaming-license applicants, ultimately the tribe's gaming commission has the final say.
Arguing the board didn't act outside its duty, Mann said a hearing with the tribe's gaming commission, which assures the casino is following regulations in its gaming compact, would clear up any concerns.
"We've got a reason for everything we were doing, and they were saying we were doing things that we weren't," he said.
Casino timeline
* June 2001 — Tribal members vote in favor of doing away with the casino board of directors altogether after disputes arise between the board of directors and the Yakama Nation gaming commission.
* September 2001 — Tribal Council says scrapping the board of directors was against the casino's own gaming ordinance, and appoints its Overall Economic Development and Planning committee to the role.
* February 2003 — Complaints from the National Indian Gaming Commission surface about the casino's appointed board not possessing required gaming licenses nor submitting to background checks. Also, an audit report conducted by LeMaster & Daniels of Yakima turns up mismanagement issues and shows roughly $500,000 missing from the casino's food and beverage department.
* March 2004 — Tribal members vote in a new board of directors, and approve making the job a full-time paid position with all five members elected from general membership.
* September 2004 — Elected casino board initiates audit report that shows a series of purchasing problems in 2003, including checks written to accounts that don't exist. Also, records covering 2003 payroll are missing and a letter from the casino finance director shows Legends paid $99,930 in late fees for not filing W-2 forms with the Internal Revenue Services in 2002 and 2003.
* October 2004 — Tribal Council suspends the casino board, citing its members overstepped their authority and were operating without a budget. Its executive board fills in as interim board.
* July 2006 — Tribal leaders reinstate suspended board of directors.
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