Former Lobbyist Owns Bragging Rights On Senator Earl Ray Tomblin

Former Lobbyist Owns Bragging Rights On Senator Earl Ray Tomblin

by, Jack Swint & Sam Webber.. WestVirginiaNews@gmail.com

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“it’s bad enough being called onto the carpet before Earl Ray, but to be sitting in the outside office and see the door come open and out prances Roger White with a smirk on his face is a bit much….”. WV State Employee

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Our 3 month investigation into Roger D. White’s connections with Senator Ear Ray Tomblin and greyhound racing reveals a long trail of deceit, fraud, illegal, unethical & even sexist behavior. And that is just on Roger White…. The bottom line, this man has all of the power in the world but no authority.

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The onetime state lobbyist apparently has strong ties with Earl Ray Tomblin. At least that is what he claims by constantly boasting throughout the state of WV how “I have Earl Ray and Joe Delong in my hip pocket.” White, 64, is also directly linked to Earl Ray’s father ( Earl Sr.) and Danny Adkins, VP of Hartman & Tyner who own the tri-state casino and racetrack.

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White has been in the greyhound racing business with his wife Michelle for many years even though nothing they own together is listed in his name because of an alleged disability claim against former employer Eastern Association Coal Company, which he left under “questions” in 1997.

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Hilda Halstead remembers both Roger and Michelle White. She was one of the founding members of the WV greyhound breeders association and was instrumental in heading up the original group’s membership. Hilda, also an owner-breeder, says that she helped both Michelle and Roger by “splitting” a litter of racing puppies to help them expand in the business. She later quit the association when it became so corrupt, cut throat and sinister. “This greyhound association is not what we envisioned it to be.”

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Over time the Whites expanded their business to include owning “Blue & Gold Kennel” and increasing the number of dogs they owned and raced. He reportedly double-crossed a lot of people to get there. On one occasion, Roger entered into a contract with Harlyn Goebel who is one of the larger breeder-owners in the industry. Goebel, who operates out of Texas, agreed to provide the Whites with two dogs for racing and breeding purposes. But, Roger allegedly kept the dogs and their offspring and has yet to pay Goebel anything.

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Over the years he has compiled a long list of plaintiffs and or defendants in civil litigation and other complaints brought against association members who White becomes upset with. According to court records available, he has yet to win one case he has filed. And, he has left a trail of owner-breeders questioning his motives and reason he turned against them all. Dean Miner, a current wheeling member says Roger White and his associate’s ethics are less than those of a “child molester.” After this story, we figure to be sued by him next. And that is fine.

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Roger White has been given “open access” from Senator Tomblin to roam the statehouse halls, create legislation and even get away with making unwanted sexual advances and harassing some female staff at the capital. In fact, one woman who asked to remain anonymous said that Roger White was so “touchy – feely and creepy” that she would lock the door to the office if she even heard he was in the building. Another employee (an executive) said that Roger White came right out and asked her to go to a hotel with him and have a drink while they were at a conference.

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When interviewing lobbyists and senators, all concur that Tomblin is very protective of Roger White and they all feel helpless to do or say anything about it. Why? They feel White either knows something incriminating about Earl Ray Tomblin or the senator uses White to do his dirty work, or both. Several people interviewed feel that Whites association with Earl Ray’s father is the connection.

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Earl Sr. is no saint. The former Logan County Sheriff was arrested in 1970 while in office for his role in the infamous “Logan Five” voter fraud case that rocked southern WV. Sheriff Tomblin, one of his deputies and even then state senator Bernard Smith were caught and convicted buying and selling votes in Logan County. All five men were found guilty on September 13, 1971 in a federal trial in Huntington. Each defendant was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Federal documents then show a reduction in sentence for Tomblin to 5 years. The federal case number is 3:71-cr-09520

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Then again on May 1, 1992 Earl senior plead guilty in his role of the bribery of a state official in another infamous case involving an attempt to steal funds from the WV Public Public Employees Fund. According to court records in that case Tomblin received a lower sentence for his “substantial assistance” to the US Attorney. He was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison and ordered to pay back $22,439.00 to the WV consolidated retirement board. That case number is 2:92-cr-00047.

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To this day he still likes to tell the story of how his own close relative set him up by wearing a “wire” for the feds to get evidence on him for his crimes. During the tape recorded conversation, his informant relative asked Earl if anyone knew what he was doing, and that it was illegal. The elder Tomblin replied, “Not even God knows.” Shortly after that, he was arrested.

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And if Earl senior thinks being arrested by the feds twice is bad luck, he may have a real surprise coming soon. And they can all thank Roger for it…..

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Back to Roger White……

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1. Embezzlement Of Funds??

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According to ethics commission records Roger White filed to become a lobbyist on January 27, 2005. At the time, he was also president of the WV greyhound breeders association. His quarterly lobbyist reports claimed everything from being a current West Virginia greyhound owner to addressing the senate on house bills related to gaming. Both of which are untrue. White is not legally a greyhound dog owner, everything is in his wife’s name. Recent testimony in Kanawha County Circuit Court shows he has not had any direct involvement or received any money from the racing commission since at least 2004.

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In each and every lobbyist report, White certified that he did not have any expenses incurred as a lobbyist the entire year and a half he was registered. Each of his activity reports clearly states this and bears his signature. (available from the WV Ethics Committee)

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So, why did he then turn around and submit bills to the WV breeders association totaling $1,800 dollars between February and April 2005 claiming they were lobbying expenses? Two payments were documented in the greyhound racing association minutes for those months. White knew, or should have known that the requests were fraudulently submitted, and that taking the funds was embezzling money from the WV greyhound association funds.

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Or, he filed false lobbyist reports which is also a crime under WV code 6B-3-9.

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The legal definition of embezzlement is: “the crime of stealing the funds or property of an employer, company or government. Or, misappropriating money or assets held in trust.”

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What makes this even worse is the fact that White was president of the breeders association during that time, and his wife, Michelle, was treasurer.

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2. Political Payoffs

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Many people in the industry and statehouse have openly stated that they felt Roger White and both Tomblins were involved together in illegal and or unethical behavior. According to two credible sources (one law enforcement personnel requesting anonymity) information has recently come to light from Roger himself, who unknowingly bragged to a woman the details of a $12,500 dollar cash payment from Senator Earl Ray Tomblin to help make sure a house bill that was once defeated, gets through the second time.

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Senate bill 357 was successfully passed even though Harvey Maupin, vice president of the WVGOBA professed that the members DID NOT want this change and that it would cause more harm than good.

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One greyhound breeder stated that the change of the requirement for Greyhounds to stay in the state of West Virginia until they were 1 year old was the death knell for many small breeders who did not have the facilities to raise greyhounds until they were a year old. In the case of many other breeders, the cost for changing their facilities to accommodate greyhounds until they were 12 months old was staggering.

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White sold the plan as a way to “keep more money in West Virginia”. This is a ridiculous supposition since it required dogs older than 6 months to be kept on the farms thereby limiting the amount of greyhounds that could be raised.

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Why did Earl Ray want this bill passed? To push out more of the little guys which would greatly raise the purse amount payments for people like the Whites & Tomblins who would not be affected since their greyhound farms were large enough to handle the change.

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3. Point Enhancing.

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Each week, tri-state casino and racetrack issues checks to the breeders & kennels owners for their share of the dog race winnings. Payment amounts are determined on a point system which then pays a specific amount that is controlled by Danny Adkins, VP of Hartman & Tyner who owns the track. Neither the racing nor lottery commission has any authority or control over this process.

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Also, both the Tomblins and Whites have kennels that race, board and train other owner’s greyhounds. So, not only do the Whites & Tomblins receive money for their own dogs winning, they receive money from each dog owner that uses their kennel.

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Roger White recently bragged to a woman who then told on him, that a deal to enhance the points for him and the Tomblins puts an extra $40,000 a year in each of their pockets. Why would Danny Adkins approve such a fraud? According to Roger boasting, because it appears legitimate instead of a payoff when Danny needs a favor. Allegedly, one of those favors is coming up. Adkins needs senate approval to change the law requiring the hotel-convention center to be built by the end of next year. If it is not, he has to pay additional penalties that go as high as 3 million dollars each year until it is. This is above and beyond the $2.5 million a year for their licenses etc.

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So, in reality his ability to adjust points for cash on the weekly greyhound check is a good cover. And, with no one outside of the racetrack personnel being able to reconcile the money against the actual points; it’s a beautiful thing….. And who determines exactly what each point pays??? Yep, Danny Adkins.

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Until we recently began questioning the accuracy of the payouts to bettors and payments to the association members, there was a link available on the casino website that showed computer statements on each kennels earnings, standings and top dogs by win. That link, “Sparky’s Space” (click on blue link) was shutdown over the past two days. Even though there was no reference to the points verses money, you could at least determine who was being paid the most. When we examined the report last month, the Tomblins kennel was one of the highest paid. Closely followed by the Whites. Hopefully, after this story, they will bring that exact link back.

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In a recent 2008 meeting with the WV racing commission, Roger White stood up in front of a group of people (including this author & Attorney General lawyer Christy Utt) and introduced himself as a lobbyist, and was the man responsible for obtaining recent legislation in order to build 2 new greyhound dog training tracks. Outside of the fact he hasn’t been a lobbyist since his one year tenure ending in early 2006, he still claims that status.

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Ironically, also in the ethics commissions file is a letter dated in February 2006 from the WV Greyhound Owners & Breeders that clearly states;

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“Mr. White has been lobbying at the current session of the legislature. He is NOT AUTHORIZED to represents the WVGOBA. We hope he understands not to imply that he represents the WVGOBA.”

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Bottom line, Senator Earl Ray Tomblin has created a monster in Roger White by allowing him to use the senator’s name as a bargaining chip and threat to anyone who stands in his way. According to one current WVGOBA member, White has his own agenda since being removed as president of the association and from the national greyhound board. “Roger told me that he has a lot of people to pay back!”

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What type of power and intimidation does he carry with him? Listening to one executives secretary, “it’s bad enough being called onto the carpet before Earl Ray, but to be sitting in the outside office and see the door come open and out prances Roger White with a smirk on his face is a bit much..”.

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According to two female state employees who asked to remain anonymous out of fear for their jobs; he bragged to them that he would eventually “destroy the breeders association.” White may have succeeded. Since shortly after losing the presidents seat and his ranking in the national association, he managed to get a law passed that no longer requires a person to belong to the WV breeders association. So, he kept true to his threat to destroy the association. That law took effect this week.

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In closing,

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Everyone makes mistakes in life, Earl Tomblin senior admited his guilt and served his time. At the least, Roger White most likely committed a crime by falsely submiting invoices to be paid for lobbyist expenses when there were none. Bragging to a woman that you were receiving pay off money from Earl Ray to sway votes and receiving extra money from the track is pretty stupid no matter what the reason.....

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According to one registered lobbyist and one credible source, Roger White allegedly was served recently with “paperwork” by the U.S. Marshalls office in relation to his greyhound business and or association with the Tomblins and Danny Adkins. It is a fact that several local law firms are in the process of obtaining specific information on White for legal action. What they need to keep in mind is, the only thing Roger White has in his own name is that he is President of “Blue & Gold Kennel” (click on blue link)

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If anyone would like copies of the Federal Docket Reports on Earl Tomblin and or the Lobbyist & Greyhound records on Roger White, E-mail us and provide a mailing address or we can e-mail you a PDF copy.

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End Of Story......

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Jack Swint & Sam Webber

P.O. Box 78

Shoals, WV 25562

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304-549-4978

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WestVirginiaNews@gmail.com

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