The proposed gaming compact between the Seminole Indian tribe and the State of Florida would allow the Indians to conduct card games at their reservation casinos that are currently illegal under both Florida State law and the 1988 Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA). Additionally, under the proposed compact, the Seminoles would pay only 10% of gross to the State of Florida - perhaps the lowest percentage paid by any Indian tribe allowed to operate slot machines in the United States. The 20% figure continually used by Governor Crist is a percentage of net and thus purposely misleading.

A recent U.S. Supreme Court decision even held that the Florida lands granted to the Seminoles were transferred illegally and the tribe was not entitled to this land to begin with.

The Seminoles claim that they are a "Sovereign Nation" and thus entitled to special rights. Why then are Seminole Indians entitled to vote in U.S. and Florida Elections, entitled to welfare payments and entitled to workmen's compensation? Floridians are not allowed to vote in their tribal elections! Seminoles are either citizens of their "Sovereign Nation" or citizens of the United States. Why do they have it both ways? It is un-American to grant any special class of people extraordinary rights because of the color of their skin or the history of their people.

Don't think that the vast wealth of the Seminole Indians which is derived from casinos trickles down to individual tribal members. The National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC) has said repeatedly that money flows improperly to a small group of tribal leaders - a situation that the Seminoles have refused to address.

How did the Seminole Indians get this illegal sweetheart gambling deal from the State of Florida?

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July 12th 2006

The Seminoles' casino development partner, Coastal Development (Richard T. Fields), contributes $100,000 to the Republican Party of Florida (RPOF). ¹

July 18th 2006

Coastal Development gives another $100,000 to the Conservative Values Coalition, an ECO that supports Charlie Crist's gubernatorial campaign.

Aug 29th 2006

Seminole Tribe contributes $30,000 to RPOF.

Sept 5th 2006

Charlie Crist wins the Republican nomination for Governor.

Sept 28th 2006

RPOF pays Crist's campaign manager George LeMieux $50,000.

Oct 2nd 2006

Coastal Development contributes another $100,000 to RPOF.

Oct 18th 2006

Seminole Tribe contributes another $100,000 to RPOF.

Nov 7th 2006

Charlie Crist is elected Governor of Florida on a pledge to oppose expanded gambling in the state. Two weeks prior to his victory, Crist reiterated his opposition to gambling expansion in an interview in the Florida Baptist Witness, saying, "I think we shouldn't expand gambling." ²

Dec 1st 2006

RPOF pays George LeMieux another $150,000.

Jan 2nd 2007

Charlie Crist is inaugurated as Florida's 44th Governor.

May 11th 2007

National Indian Gaming Commission tells Seminoles that the tribe is still not in compliance with federal law, in relation to an ongoing inquiry into the tribe's spending of gambling profits.³ This issue remains unresolved to the current day.

Nov 14th 2007

Charlie Crist signs a compact with Seminole Indians and gifts the Tribe one of the lowest percentages to pay the state for slot machines of the 12 states that has Indian gambling. The compact also grants the Seminoles the right to operate Blackjack and other stakes card games in direct violation of both State law and the 1988 Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA).

While the Seminoles have the right to negotiate to operate slot machines based on Florida voters' approval of slot machines at racetracks in Miami-Dade and Broward counties, the State is not required to grant them the right to lucrative card games that is barred by State law. The compact also grants the Seminoles exclusive rights to operate casinos outside Broward and Miami-Dade Counties.

Chief of Staff George LeMieux, who worked for Gunster Yoakley from 1994-2002, acted as the Governor's lead negotiator and point man in gambling talks with the Seminoles. LeMieux says that "there is no provision in our constitution for ratification of this compact and it is not our intention that the Legislature will ratify it." ⁴ Crist insists that he must give the Seminoles a gaming compact because the U.S. Interior Department would do so if he refused to act and Florida would get nothing in return.⁵ In fact, Crist was only required to bargain in good faith over Class III slot machines and faced no requirement to grant the Indians the right to operate card games illegal under Florida State law. Additionally, any compact approved by the U.S. Interior Department would have included payments to the State of Florida for the exclusive rights to operate slot machines most likely in excess of the paltry percent negotiated by Crist. Because no one in Florida seems to understand the 1988 Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, Crist's lie goes unchallenged. (The U.S. Interior Department has never granted a compact to a tribe over the objections of a sitting Governor nor was it the policy of the Bush Administration to do so. Attempts by various tribes to require DOI to do so through litigation have uniformly failed.)

Dec 6th 2007

George LeMieux announces his resignation as Chief of Staff.

Feb 10th 2008

RPOF Chairman Jim Greer tells the St. Petersburg Times that the State Party will pay George LeMieux $10,000 a month as a part-time consultant.⁶ These payments have not been disclosed in RPOF filings.

May 1st 2008

Gunster Yoakley names George LeMieux "Chairman of the Firm."

July 3rd 2008

The Florida Supreme Court rejects Crist's compact with the Seminoles both because the legislature did not approve it and because the card games included violate state and federal law. Crist announces he will appeal, doesn't, and then announces that he will press the legislature for passage of the compact but is open to renegotiating key provisions to win legislative approval. LeMieux rationalizes the initial decision to give the Seminoles illegal card games, telling the Miami Herald, "We had to offer them something to get something. Now the tribe will get its slot machines everywhere it wants and the state will lose hundreds of millions, if not billions, of dollars. The Seminoles will have their cake and eat it too." ⁷

Oct 10th 2008

Seminole Tribe contributes $250,000.00 to RPOF.

Oct 13th 2008

Seminole Tribe contributes $200,000 to RPOF.

April 22nd 2009

Charlie Crist and the Seminole Tribe present a new deal to the legislature in which the tribe would pay the state $1.1 billion over two years and receive a gambling monopoly in return. "The deal would allow the Seminoles to continue running blackjack tables at their Hard Rock Casinos, plus five other tribe sites, and it would give them the exclusive right to operate Class III slot machines outside of Miami-Dade and Broward counties," writes the Miami Herald.⁸ The Legislature objects.

May 7th 2009

Legislature agrees to a compromise compact paying the state $150 million when Crist insists that the illegal card games for the Seminoles be legalized in two counties and refuses to seek more money for the state from the Seminoles for slot machines.

June 11th 2009

The Seminole Tribe indicates that it is not likely to approve a gambling deal under the terms set by the Florida Legislature due to provisions that they say could "increase costs and competition," according to the Sun-Sentinel.⁹

September 1st 2009

Governor Crist announces a new compact revision in which the Seminoles get blackjack at all seven of their reservation casinos, a provision specific rejected by the Legislature which sought to limit the game to two locations. The compact also gives the Seminoles gaming "exclusivity" outside of Miami Dade and Broward counties - meaning no future legalization of Video Lottery Terminals (VLTs) or slot machines or card games at race-tracks or other locations outside of those two counties - again a provision specifically rejected by the Legislature. In other words - Crist folded to the Indians key demands. Why is this not surprising?

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¹ Miami Herald, Aug. 4, 2006. "CASINO DEVELOPER A BIG DONOR TO ALLY OF CRIST"

² Florida Baptist Witness, Oct. 26, 2006.
http://www.floridabaptistwitness.com/6592.article

³ Sun-Sentinel, Dec. 8, 2007. "Federal watchdog examines Seminoles' gambling profits"
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-flbseminole1208brdec08,0,2778162.story

⁴ Tampa Tribune, Nov. 20, 2007. "Crist's Indian Gambling Pact Faces High Court Challenge"
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2007/nov/20/na-crists-indian-gambling-pact-faces-high-court-ch/news-politics/

⁵ Reuters, Nov. 14, 2007. "Florida reaches gambling deal with Seminole Tribe"
http://www.reuters.com/article/bondsNews/idUSB26625520071114

⁶ St. Petersburg Times, Feb. 10, 2008. "Crist's former chief prospers in new role"
http://www.sptimes.com/2008/02/10/State/Crist_s_former_chief_.shtml

⁷ Miami Herald, July 3, 2008. "High court: Crist overstepped on casino deal"

⁸ Miami Herald, April 23, 2009. "Seminoles offer $1 billion to seal gambling deal"
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/legislature/story/1013185.html

⁹ Sun-Sentinel, June 11, 2009. "Florida-Seminole gambling deal in jeopardy"
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/sfl-compact-seminoles-gambling-fl-061009,0,6827150.story