New York nepotism: Hochul appoints casino lobbyist's daughter
New York Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul’s recent appointment to the New York Gaming Commission (NYGC) is likely to intensify criticism of nepotism.
Democrats appointed Marissa Shorenstein to the committee. Shorenstein is the daughter of Stuart Shorenstein, a longtime gaming lobbyist in New York. He is currently campaigning for Evolution Malta, one of the bookmakers seeking internet casino legislation and legalization in the fourth-largest state.
The elder Shorenstein is a co-founder of public strategy group Cozen O'Connor, which counts HBC-Saks Fifth Avenue as a client, the New York Post reported. A year ago, the venerable department store joined the race for a New York casino, announcing it wanted to build a casino at its flagship store on Fifth Avenue.
Saks parent company Hudson's Bay Co. wants to transform the ninth to 11th floors of the Manhattan department store into a gaming venue inspired by the James Bond film "Casino Royale," starring Daniel Craig. The Saks store is located next to St. Patrick's Cathedral, which makes it a fun casino location.
Marissa Shorenstein’s political ties to New York run deep
Marissa Shorenstein is well-connected in New York politics, most recently serving three terms as governor, all Democrats, including Hochul.
Prior to joining AT&T, Shorenstein led Marissa Shorenstein LLC, providing strategic communications consulting services. Shorenstein also served as communications director for Andrew M. Cuomo’s 2010 gubernatorial campaign and as press secretary and deputy communications director for Gov. David A. Patterson’s administration,” the NYGC website states. “She also served as the communications director for the 2000 Member of the national press team for Al Gore's presidential campaign. Most recently, Shorenstein served as Executive Transition Director for New York Governor Kathy Hochul. "
Interestingly, Patterson now lobbies for Las Vegas Sands and is credited as the architect behind the operator's decision to build a casino hotel in Nassau County.
Hochul is believed to have appointed Shorenstein to the NYGC last June without fanfare, The Post reported.
Shorenstein’s appointment may spark controversy
The NYGC will not be responsible for determining the three winners of the in-state casino license. Instead, these winners will be selected by an independent Gaming Facility Positioning Committee.
Additionally, the most recent budget submitted to Hochul did not contain any iGaming legislation. Still, some believe the governor's appointment of Shorenstein to the New York City Council could be controversial because she could be directly involved in the issues her father lobbied for. Additionally, some New York politicians are interested in maintaining internet casino legislation because the state needs new revenue streams.
There are concerns about her appointment, although NYGC Executive Director Lee Park told The Washington Post that Shorenstein is qualified to serve as NYGC commissioner and that the accusations of nepotism are "sensational."
John Kaehny, executive director of the state accountability group Reimagining Albany, told the outlet that Hochul's move to add the younger Shorenstein to the NYGC board was alarming and "ridiculous."
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Source: www.casino.org
