Recently released documents indicate former Florida Lieutenant Governor Jennifer Carroll was paid 0,000 by Allied Veterans of the World in 2009 and 2010, But she did not report those earnings on either mandatory financial disclosure forms she filed with the state or federal income tax filings. She changed the documents only after she was questioned by state investigators. Carroll said she did not report the income because of an “oversight” and added she returned the “overpayments” to Allied, a veterans charity accused of running an illegal gambling operation. At the time Carroll was a state legislator.
She received the payments before running for Lieutenant Governor on Rick Scott’s ticket. She resigned in 2013 when the charity was investigated for running an illegal gambling operation. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement said Carroll did not commit a crime but the case has been forwarded to the state’s ethics commission for review.
As a result of Florida’s investigation into Allied Veterans of the World, 57 people were arrested, legislation was passed banning internet cafes and the Allied Veterans attorney Kelly Mathis was tried and sentenced. Most of the remaining suspects reached plea bargains with prosecutors.
Also in Florida, the parent companies of Gulfstream Park and Calder Casino & Race Course are expected to announce an agreement that would allow Gulfstream to lease Calder’s racing operations, so the two tracks would stop their competing weekend races. Gulfstream is owned by the Stronach Group of Aurora, Ontario, and Calder is owned by Churchill Downs Inc. The Florida Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association would have to approve the arrangement.
Gulfstream-based trainer Henry Collazo said, “The word is around that they are talking again, but none of the horsemen have seen details yet. You have to expect it will be better than what we have now where nobody is benefiting from head-to-head racing.” Under the agreement, races at the two locations would not overlap since Calder would have racing 10 weeks, probably in the fall, and Gulfstream would race during the other weeks.
In Florida greyhound racing news, the Senate Appropriations Committee did not take up a measure that would have decoupled racing with gaming.
The committee did approve a less-restrictive dog racing bill requiring track operators and dog trainers to report race-related injuries to state gaming regulators. Florida and Alabama are the only two states that do not require injury reporting.
Carey Theil, director of Grey2K USA, the greyhound-advocacy group that pushed for the decoupling law, said the group now will focus on getting the injury-reporting bill passed by both chambers. Last year, the organization was successful in having the legislature pass a bill requiring tracks to report a race-related deaths. During the first six months of death reporting, 74 dogs died of race-related injuries.
State Senator Garrett Richter, chairman of the Senate Gaming Committee, said, “Dog racing is expensive, and if they don’t have the expense of racing dogs, they can use that money to expand their cards and slots. This whole industry is about making sure the other guys don’t get something you don’t have.” Each year, Florida spends $3.1 million more to regulate greyhound racing than it receives in revenues. The tracks now run races as a loss leaders o operate the more-lucrative poker rooms.
