Harrah's Campaign Most Expensive

19 June 2006

RHODE ISLAND – As reported by the Providence Journal: "The Harrah's-financed casino drive has now officially earned its place among the most expensive State House lobbying campaigns in history -- if not the most expensive.

"Through April 30, Harrah's had spent a previously reported $617,000 on lobbying and advertising in its effort to persuade lawmakers to put the proposed constitutional amendment on the November ballot to specifically allow:

"…Between May 1 and May 31, Harrah's spent $369,952 more on lobbying, advertising and phone banks and the travel expenses and consulting fees paid the out-of-state experts, including Robert F. Williams, a professor at Rutgers University School of Law, who Harrah's brought here to try to win over the lawmakers and public.

"That included lobbying fees ranging from $250 to $5,000 a month paid to Harrah's platoon of registered lobbyists; $25,847 to E-Advocates LLC for launching the pro-casino Web site; $260,000 to the Fenton Group for the ubiquitous pre-vote radio and newspaper ads; $34,212 to Winning Connections Inc. for what is described as a 'telephone patch through program'; $2,340 for food and beverages served at Harrah's 'community meeting' at the West Valley Inn in West Warwick and $5,677.81 for Williams' appearance before the House Finance Committee.

"Also, $2,200 covered the travel expenses and honorarium paid one of the out-of-staters Harrah's brought in for the West Valley Inn event: Sheila Tracy, president of the Northland Regional Chamber of Commerce, in Kansas City, Mo., where Harrah's has a 392-room hotel, craps games, pai gow poker and 1,800 slot machines…"