Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Jim RosicaMarch 7, 2017

A Tallahassee judge has invalidated the Florida Lottery’s $700 million contract for new equipment, essentially agreeing with House Speaker Richard Corcoran that the agency went on an illegal spending spree when it inked the deal last year. Leon County Circuit Judge Karen Gievers issued her 15-page order late Tuesday afternoon. She presided over a nonjury […]

Jim RosicaMarch 6, 2017

The Florida Lottery went on an illegal spending spree when it inked a multiple-year, $700 million contract for new equipment and “blew up” the state’s budget process, a lawyer for House Speaker Richard Corcoran argued Monday. The Lottery’s lawyer countered that it takes money to make money, and the agency simply did what lawmakers told it to do: Follow […]

Jim RosicaMarch 6, 2017

A multiple-year, $700 million contract for new Florida Lottery equipment is “a complete departure from the way we’ve operated for many years,” a House budget analyst testified Monday. Bruce Topp, budget chief for the Government Operation and Technology Appropriations Subcommittee, was on the stand for the non-jury trial between the Lottery and House Speaker Richard Corcoran over the contract, made final last year. […]

Jim RosicaMarch 6, 2017

Lawyers for the Florida Lottery and House Speaker Richard Corcoran will square off today in what’s expected to be a one-day trial. The non-jury trial, before Circuit Judge Karen Gievers in the Leon County Courthouse, is scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. Each side has said they will call only two witnesses. The speaker sued the agency, which […]

Jim RosicaMarch 1, 2017

The nation’s top Indian gambling regulator last year told the Seminole Tribe of Florida that the federal government would be “hard-pressed” to approve its new blackjack agreement with the state. The tribe on Tuesday disclosed the June 2016 letter from Paula L. Hart, director of the U.S. Department of Interior’s Office of Indian Gaming, as an attachment to its own […]

Jim RosicaFebruary 27, 2017

The House of Representatives’ in-house lawyer also plans to call just two witnesses at trial in Speaker Richard Corcoran‘s lawsuit against the Florida Lottery. House general counsel Adam Tanenbaum‘s witness list was posted in court dockets Monday. Barry Richard, the Lottery’s outside lawyer, similarly said he plans to call only two witnesses. A non-jury trial is scheduled for March […]

Jim RosicaFebruary 27, 2017

The Florida Lottery’s outside lawyer plans to call only two witnesses at trial in the lawsuit filed against it by House Speaker Richard Corcoran. According to court filings, attorney Barry Richard listed Summer Sylvestri, the Lottery’s procurement director, and Michael Manley, its deputy chief of staff and legislative affairs director. A non-jury trial is scheduled for […]

Associated PressFebruary 23, 2017

Gov. Rick Scott‘s administration is asking a judge to throw out a lawsuit filed by House Speaker Richard Corcoran. A Leon County circuit judge held a brief hearing Thursday over Corcoran’s lawsuit that maintains the Florida Lottery broke the law when it approved a more than $700-million contract with IGT Global Solutions to help run […]

Jim RosicaJanuary 19, 2017

The state of Florida has filed an appeal to a federal judge’s ruling allowing the Seminole Tribe to keep offering blackjack at its casinos. The 7-page “notice of appeal” to the 11th U.S Circuit Court of Appeals was filed Thursday by Jason Maine, general counsel to the Department of Business and Professional Regulation, which regulates […]

Jim RosicaJanuary 2, 2017

The Seminole Tribe of Florida has objected to a request by a North Florida race track to alter a federal judge’s ruling allowing the tribe to keep blackjack at its casinos. Greenberg Traurig attorney Barry Richard, who represents the Tribe, filed his memorandum in opposition to Gretna Racing’s motion to intervene last week, court records show. Its attorneys, David Romanik and […]

Tag: Barry Richard

Scratched: Judge sides with Richard Corcoran, tosses out Lottery’s $700M contract

Lottery case now in judge’s hands; agency says it did no wrong

House witness calls Lottery contract ‘complete departure’ from protocol

Trial to begin in Richard Corcoran v. Florida Lottery

Letter: Feds may not have approved new Seminole Compact

House also files short witness list for Lottery trial

Lottery plans lean case against lawsuit

Rick Scott to court: Throw out Richard Corcoran’s Lottery lawsuit

State appeals federal ruling on Seminole Tribe blackjack

Seminole Tribe objects to Gretna track’s intervention in gambling dispute