A federal agency decision not to approve a new tribal casino in East Windsor, Connecticut, is reportedly under investigation. A representative of the Mohegan Tribe said he's not surprised.
The two tribes that operate Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun had hoped to join forces to build a new casino close to the state border to compete with the new MGM casino in Springfield, Massachusetts.
But the Interior Department did not OK it.
The Washington Post has reported that a grand jury is considering whether former Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke lied to federal investigators about whether politics played a role in the decision.
Chuck Bunnell, the chief of staff of the Mohegan Tribe, said the news didn't catch him off guard.
"I wish I could say I was shocked to hear that there might be a grand jury, and there might be investigations into political influence peddling," he said. "It's extremely disappointing, but unfortunately, not shocking."
Bunnell said a letter the tribe received from the government announcing the decision shows it was cc'ed to two members of the Nevada congressional delegation at the time — both of whom received campaign contributions from MGM.
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