DES MOINES, Iowa
Iowa Gov. Chet Culver may be called to testify in a criminal case against four people and two casino groups accused of illegally donating money to his re-election campaign, according to court documents filed this week.
Culver was among 11
They are accused of making illegal contributions to Culver's campaign by donating money in the name of another person. It is illegal in Iowa to give or receive political donations in someone else's name.
"Neither the Governor nor the Culver-Judge Campaign were ever the subject of this matter," Culver's office said in a statement released Tuesday. "However, every effort will be made to fully cooperate with the process until this situation is resolved.
Guy Cook, the attorney for Peninsula Gaming, its executives and Beason, filed the witness list on Monday in Polk County District Court. A telephone message left for Cook was not immediately returned.
Other names on the list include former Iowa Attorney General Bonnie Campbell, Dubuque Mayor Roy Buol, other Peninsula Gaming officials and Dennis Gomes, president and CEO of Gomes Gaming Inc., of Atlantic City, N.J.
The case is set for trial Jan. 5, but both sides have asked for more time to prepare.
Cook also filed a motion Monday seeking an extension for filing pre-trial motions to no sooner than Feb. 14 and seeking a trial date in March or April.
At issue is a $25,000 campaign contribution to Culver's campaign.
Those charged with breaking contribution disclosure rules had submitted an application for a casino in Fort Dodge, one of four proposals submitted to the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission. Culver supported all four applications, saying they would create jobs, but the panel rejected the Fort Dodge application as well as casinos proposed in the city of Ottumwa and Tama County.
The panel approved one in Lyon County.
After questions about the donation were raised, Culver donated the money to charity.
The charges were filed in Polk County by special prosecutor Lawrence Scalise, who was appointed by Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller to investigate the claims.
In filing the charges, Scalise issued a short written statement that said there was no evidence of any wrongdoing by anyone other than those named, apparently clearing Culver of any wrongdoing.
Culver solicited campaign contributions from some of the people involved in the casino projects but said he did nothing wrong in the fundraising and later released a statement that said the charges made it clear that neither he nor is staff violated any laws.
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