Is The Governor & Other Officials Forcing Joe Cuomo To Retire Early?Joseph Cuomo has been with the WV Racing Commission since 1997. At the end of this month he will call it quits after thirty plus years service. In all, his dedication and service to the state is highly commendable. But, according to our credible source in the governor’s staff, Joe Cuomo was put into a position that he would most likely retire at the end of the year. And that is exactly what happened. His last day is December 31, 2008.
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This comes as the racing commission is about to come under fire from yet another civil lawsuit being filed by the Charleston law firm of Bell & Bands on behalf of greyhound association member Marena Riggins and all others concerned. Or, what is commonly referred to as a “class action” claim.
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Marena Riggins hired Bell & Bands after using her own auditor who conducted an extensive search of the financial reports and other records made available by the state. The Attorney General & Racing Commission Chairman, Fred Petticord, received a 30 day notice from attorney William Bands on November 26th, 2008 as required under WV statute 55-17-3 which gives the state advance notice of pending litigation.
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This would not be the first complaint of this nature filed against the racing commission and or Joe Cuomo. There is at least one other claim pending in Kanawha County Circuit Court filed by Sam Burdette, who is the president of the WV greyhound association.
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Years of state audits conducted within the legislature and outside firms have noted numerous documented complaints against the racing commission and Cuomo for poor operation controls, auditing and accounting procedures. According to reports and other documents we obtained over the past four months utilizing the states FOI requests, this is a longstanding problem. Most of the noted errors by state and private auditors were never corrected by Cuomo or the commission even though each audit report routinely exposed them and the commission agreed to comply.
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According to Riggins beliefs, the pending suit will claim that through Cuomo, who is the person responsible for auditing and ensuring accurate payments to the WV breeders, failed to calculate & pay millions of dollars in monthly payments partially due to Riggins and other members.
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A minimum of 12 million dollars has allegedly been underpaid by the racing commission since at least the past 5-6 years. And it could be higher depending on how far back the suite claims the problem existed. Bell & Bands is bringing in a forensic auditor to determine the exact amounts and dates. This litigation could eventually take on a broader scope by joining with the WV horse racing association members if it is determined they to were underpaid.
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According to our prior conversations with attorney William Bands, it is not their contention at this time that any money has been stolen. They feel it is just poor bookkeeping and are hoping the state just corrects the problem for the past, present and future.
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It should also be noted that the state legislative auditing division and the governor has been well aware of the ongoing problems within the racing commission since both have copies of the states findings and reports from outside auditing firms.
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In other racing commission news, Deputy Attorney General Christie Utt, resigned her position as legal counsel for the racing commission last month. Attorney Utt has also been in several controversies regarding the handling of legal matters involving the racing commission and pending litigation. It’s not known at this time where the Attorney General has reassigned her duties.
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Continuous and ongoing problems from within the racing division is leading lawmakers to turn over their total control to a “gaming commission” in the near future. Fears & rumors are circulating that this is a pretense to the state eliminating live racing for the greyhounds and horses in WV. It would evolve into each casino just live broadcasting races from other tracks around the country on big screen TV’s. Betting would still occur and money generated.
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In fact, there are new allegations circulating that this would also lead to the governor approving a bill to allow off-track betting establishments across the state. Some people we spoke with feel that dissolving away the racing commission will allow state officials to forever bury any financial wrongdoings that have occurred over the years.
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End Of Story....
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Jack Swint & Sam Webber
PO Box 40511
Charleston, WV 25364
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10 comments:
Millions of Dollars?? WOW, we could use that to help feed and cloth the homeless. They need to do away with the racing commission, live dog and horse racing anyway. It is a cost-burdon to the state and taxpayers. It is all just for entertainment anyway.
Good story as always
It almost sounds as though state officials would like to do away with not just the racing commission and live racing, but more so, the problems they are facing financially.
Ive heard the state board of education has hidden facts surrounding exchange students being sexually mollested and placed in homes where sex offenders live. Cant wait for this story.
WHERE IS Christine Habrle'S SIDE OF THE STORY?????????
To the annonymous person who keeps asking about comments from Christene Habrley?? From what I read on here, she already did.
Give it a rest pal, or gal, or maybe e-mail the people who write this blog and ask them to write you back???
Former GOP fundraiser begins Ohio prison term
A former Republican fundraiser convicted of stealing from an Ohio investment fund is settling into an Ohio prison where he's serving an 18-year sentence.
Sam................ Good Job Jack
Whatever happen to the hotel the racing commission was going to build out of their own pocket.More hot air.Are they broke? Time for them to kick in another 100K to act like they are not broke.
Wow No Live Racing!! Well that sure wont look good for the tracks and all that Voted Yes, what happened to all the Jobs they promised?? You realize how many people will be out of Jobs if Live racing at all the WV tracks are done away with?? I Voted Yes for this crap and I'm still yet to see those 1000 good paying jobs a Hotel and Convention Center and it took over a Year to even get Table Games and now I'm hearing that they are wanting to get rid of Live racing, that will definitely cause many people to lose their jobs, as if WV needs more people on the unemployment line, it's looking more and more like I got took for a ride when I voted Yes for this crap,I voted for this to see more jobs created in WV and now they are talking about getting rid of something that will cause many to lose there jobs not add more jobs,there going backwards on this instead of forwards, what they gonna do when the good People of Kanawha Co. vote this all out in a few years, more lost jobs and more problems?? Sounds like someone definitely needs to step in and try to straighten out all the wrong doings with all these tracks and racing commisions and so on, but don't punish those that are working there in the process they are only trying to make a living, punish those that are creating these problems, thats how you'll save money by getting rid of all the wrongdoing that is going on..
Wrongdoing IS Greyhound Racing. Read the Chapmanville Killing Fields of West Virginia. The people who are associated with all these criminals should have thought about the consequences. Well, the consequences will be coming down on all of you.
Get educated. And if you are already a Vet, you'll be stripped of your degree for incompetence and not reporting cruelty.
Marena Riggins will be going to jail anyway. Cruelty to animals and for so long is a much tougher sentence than what Mike Vick got.
Kiss any millions you've been stashing in the woods goodbye.
Friends of the Forest
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