Twin River looks to hire former Lottery lawyer
4:07 PM Thu, Nov 05, 2009 | Permalink
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PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- The lenders in control of the Twin River slot parlor have asked a federal judge for permission to hire the former legal counsel for the Rhode Island Lottery as a government relations consultant, according to a court filing. Robert M. Silva was the Lottery's lawyer for 16 years, before retiring in May 2008. It appears Silva's hiring would be consistent with the state's code of ethics, which generally prevents state employees from representing themselves or others before their former departments for one year after their state employment ends. As the Lottery's lawyer, Silva would not have been required to file financial disclosure statements with the state ethics commission, according to Jason Gramitt, an ethics commission attorney. There appear to be no rulings involving Silva on record.
The executive director of government watchdog Common Cause Rhode Island, John M. Marion, said Silva "satisfied the revolving door [clause]. He's been out a year. He can make the jump. If approved by a federal judge, Twin River's lenders will pay Silva $5,000 month, plus expenses, to monitor state legislative actions and lobby state officials on the slot parlor's behalf. The request is set to go before U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Arthur N. Votolato on Nov. 17. 
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Wow, who didn't see this one coming? Don't even let the dust settle a little on the Lottery and Governor OKing 24/7 slots now a connected lawyer gets a job to monitor "legislative actions and lobby state officials." Why does this bankrupt company need to waste money while sticking it to workers. The place should be closed and RI should not be pumping money into it via the backdoor.
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All the management people who mismanaged Twin River are confidently telling all their friends that whoever buys Twin River that their legislator buddies will tell the new owner to keep the existing management. I thought that was absolutely impossible, but now that the fix seems to be in with the Lottery on this "government relations" hire, it appears no matter who buys Twin River, they'll be saddled with the same dead-weight management team that Wolman and Kerzner first hired. Wow! I knew our General Assembly was a bit corrupt, but brain dead? Who, in their right mind, with the state bleeding $, would shill for the very management types who've hurt RI?
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