Commission subpoenas Caesars’ records

Marc Humbert

Tuesday, April 6, 2004 | 10:51 a.m.

ALBANY, N.Y. -- The state Lobbying Commission has subpoenaed records from Caesars Entertainment to determine if special favors were given to New York lawmakers, a spokesman for the Las Vegas casino gambling giant said Monday.

"If we determine these subpoenas are lawfully issued, we'll certainly comply with the law," Robert Stewart said.

Stewart would not rule out challenging the subpoenas in court.

Caesars is looking to break into New York's expanding casino gambling market.

The New York Post, which first reported on the subpoenas Monday, said one of the two issued last week seeks e-mails, telephone logs and other documents related to state Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver's two-night stay at the casino gambling giant's Paris Las Vegas hotel in January 2002. Silver stayed in a suite for $109 a night.

The other subpoena seeks information about all New York lawmakers.

Kris Thompson, a spokesman for the Lobbying Commission, would not confirm the subpoenas had been issued.

An Albany lawyer representing Caesars, James Featherstonhaugh, told the Post the subpoenas amounted to a "fishing expedition" and he doubted they would stand up in court if challenged.

After word came out last month that the commission was looking into Silver's hotel stay and a dinner he had with a Caesars' executive, sources said the commission had given Caesars a list of all state lawmakers and asked if any had stayed at the group's facilities.

Subpoenas for such information would indicate the commission investigation had intensified.

Stewart said Monday that one problem facing Caesars in complying with the subpoenas is "whether we have sufficient information to accurately identify the list of people they've given us. At the moment, all we have is a list of names."

A day after the New York Post initially reported the commission was looking into Silver's stay, the Lobbying Commission's six-member board voted unanimously to have executive director David Grandeau stop talking about pending cases.

Patrick Bulgaro, one of the commissioners leading the effort to quiet Grandeau, said the measure was "directed at a pattern of leaks about investigations which have not been concluded, which in my personal view is patently unfair to the subject of the inquiry."

Bulgaro was appointed to the commission by Silver.

Grandeau, through commission spokesman Thompson, refused Monday to discuss the Caesars' case.