Marylanders United Demands Transparency on Constitutional Amendment to Bring Slots to Maryland

Annapolis, Maryland – Today, Marylanders United to Stop Slots continued its pursuit for clarification and transparency from former gambling lobbyist and acting Secretary of State John McDonough. In a letter addressed to Attorney General Douglas Gansler, Scott Arceneaux, Senior Advisor for Marylanders Untied to Stop Slots calls for clarification of the clear conflict of interest between Secretary of State McDonough and the upcoming slots legislation.

Citing the obvious conflict of two decades of work on behalf of the gambling industry, Marylanders United sent a letter last week to McDonough demanding that he recuse himself of any involvement in drafting the language of the slots ballot question. McDonough failed to respond directly to the letter, but told the Washington Post he would not and could not recuse himself.

Marylanders United requested that Attorney General Gansler provide clarification on McDonough’s comment that he legally cannot recuse himself from writing the ballot question on the slots constitutional amendment. The conflict is clear: for twenty years McDonough fought for the interests of the gambling industry. How can he be expected to write a fair and impartial ballot question on the very thing gambling executives have been fighting for?

Marylanders United also submitted a Public Information Act Request to Secretary McDonough requesting that he and his office air on the side of transparency and release all documents and correspondence pertaining to any research, drafting or legal review of slots ballot language immediately. Maryland Families have a right to the truth, and Marylanders United hopes that the Secretary will allow voters to review the records pertaining to the slots referendum without the usual 30 day delay considering that there are less than 90 days until the election November 4.

“In November, voters will make the decision of whether to amend our constitution to make slot machine gambling the law in Maryland. This decision will not be made lightly, and Maryland families deserve an honest and open process,” said Scott Arceneaux, Senior Advisor for Marylanders United to Stop Slots. “We hope Attorney General Gansler will quickly shed light on McDonough’s ability to act appropriately and step aside because of his clear conflict of interest, and that the Secretary’s office will open their records on slots and allow voters their right to transparency.”

To view the Public Information Act Request to Secretary of State John McDonough click: http://www.marylandersunited.com/node/1316

To view the letter to Attorney General Douglas Gansler click: http://www.marylandersunited.com/node/1315