Richmond casino opponents sue elections board over voter data
A political activist in Richmond, Virginia, who is fighting city leaders over efforts to build a casino in the city, claims he was denied the chance to present his case to voters.
Local attorney and political consultant Paul Goldman has formed a new political group, No Means No Casino, to oppose the ballot measure approving the casino project. Richmond voters narrowly rejected a similar casino referendum in 2021, but city leaders hope to revisit the issue this year.
Goldman Sachs Group hopes to send mailers to voters and conduct door-to-door campaigns using voter data from the Virginia State Board of Elections. But he said the committee violated his constitutional rights by not sharing the information.
State law requires voter data to be provided to candidates and political action committees, and Goldman said his organization should have access to the same data in order to oppose the casino measure before the Nov. 7 election. He said election officials declined to share the information.
Filing a lawsuit
Goldman Sachs filed the lawsuit in Richmond Circuit Court against Virginia Department of Elections Commissioner Susan Beers and members of the Board of Elections, according to a copy of the complaint obtained.
A spokesperson for the Elections Department said the department does not comment on pending litigation.
The referendum plan has so far withstood a separate legal challenge from another Richmond nonprofit seeking to block the measure. The nonprofit argued it was an illegal no-bid contract that would harm the interests of nonprofit gaming operators.
Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney and City Council members largely support plans for new casinos, saying they will bring jobs and economic development to the city. Project backers plan to unveil new plans for the $500 million facility Thursday night.
Goldman said out-of-state interests were encroaching on residents and the project would fail to live up to its promises.
Fund Against Big Food
No Means No Casino was formed in late July, according to documents filed with the state Board of Elections.
The organization received a $100,000 cash donation from Barbara Ukrop and Jim Ukrop, scions and former owners of a popular local grocery chain Supporter of anti-casino campaign. Richmond Action, LLC, another organization founded by Goldman, provided nearly $40,000 in in-kind contributions, according to campaign finance records.
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Source: www.casino.org