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Saturday, Jan. 12, 2008

Casino, horsy set gave heavily

To fund-raising entity set up by Democrats

Donors from the horse and casino industries -- including the co-owners of the Island View Casino of Gulfport, Miss. -- pumped about a half-million dollars into a little-known Democratic Party fund-raising committee last fall.

Nearly 40 people connected to those interests accounted for about 28 percent of the money raised by the Kentucky Victory 2007 committee. The Democratic National Committee set up that fund-raising entity with the Kentucky Democratic Party in June.

Federal Election Commission reports show that $117,000 of the Victory Committee's money went directly to the Kentucky Democratic Party, which was supporting Gov. Steve Beshear's campaign in the 2007 election.

Throughout last fall, casino, racetrack officials and horse owners and breeders gave heavily, shelling out at least $489,500 to the Kentucky Victory Committee, according to a Herald-Leader analysis.

Those donors include:

• Frank Antonacci, a co-owner of The Red Mile trotting track in Lexington, who gave $13,000;

• Antony Beck of Gainesway Farm, $27,500;

• Jerry Carroll, Kentucky Motor Speedway owner and former owner of Turfway Park horse-racing track, $5,500;

• J.R. Carter, owner of Island View Casino, gave $5,000 after Beshear's election;

• Bill and Susan Casner, of WinStar Farm and the Kentucky Equine Education Project, together gave $20,000;

• Richard L. Duchossois, Churchill Downs board member, $7,500;

• Bob Evans, Churchill president and CEO, $14,000;

• Terry Wayne Green, co-owner of Island View Casino, gave $5,000 after the election;

• David Grissom, Churchill board member, $15,000;

• Randall "Dee" Hubbard, who wants to build a quarter horse track in Laurel County, $38,500;

• B. Wayne Hughes Jr., owner of Spendthrift Farms, $38,500;

• Jess Jackson, owner of Stonestreet Farms and Kendall-Jackson winery, $25,000;

• Alan J. Leavitt, president of Walnut Hall Ltd., $19,500;

• Bruce Lunsford, thoroughbred breeder and owner, gave $20,000 after he lost the May Democratic primary to Beshear;

• Brent Rice, attorney and partner in Hubbard's endeavor, $10,000;

• George Segal, co-owner of The Red Mile, $13,000;

• Frank Shoop, former chair of the racing commission, gave $22,500 after the election;

• John T. Ward, trainer of Kentucky Derby winner Monarchos, $5,000;

• W.T. Young Jr, of Overbrook Farm, $5,000;

• Bill Yung, owner of casino and hotel giant Columbia Sussex, $38,500.

Developers, personal injury attorneys, and coal interests also gave big, with four donors connected to Alliance Coal giving the maximum.

Individuals could have given to the committee as much as $38,500, which is the maximum contribution level of $28,500 to the national party plus the $10,000 top donation level to the state party's bank account that's regulated by the Federal Election Commission.

Jeremy Horton, executive director of the Kentucky Democratic Party, said such joint fund-raising committees are common ways donors can support both the local and national parties.

"Sometimes that happened when someone wanted to give to the national party or had maxed out here and wanted to help with this fund-raising effort," he said.

The remaining $1.35 million the Victory Committee collected went to the DNC's coffers. The DNC gave some money back to the state party, but the amount won't be known until the Kentucky Democratic Party files its FEC report by the end of this month.

Earlier this week, state finance reports showed that casino and horse industry officials -- including some of these same names -- gave more than $120,000 to Beshear's inauguration committee fund.

All this comes as Beshear works on drafting a constitutional amendment to allow casino gambling in Kentucky -- one of his key platforms during the governor's race.