By: Kyle James | 10-08-2018 | News
Photo credit: Ron Sachs/Boston

Sen. Elizabeth Warren Is Pushing For A Native American Casino With Special Interest Ties

The Democrat senator who has become known for her nickname "Pocahontas" given to her by President Trump, is now backing legislation that would heavily benefit several special interests groups including a foreign gambling conglomerate. Warren's latest move flies in the face of her previous pledge to end public corruption in Washington. Perhaps she is afraid that if the swamp were to be drained she would be among the first to go.

Warren is still pushing for a run at the presidency in 2020 and recently introduced the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Reservation Reaffirmation Act. The new act was revealed in March and focuses on preventing any legal snags that could hinder the Mashpee Wampanoag's attempts to build the casino. According to Casino.org,

<i>"The bill, if passed, would override US District Court Judge William Young’s 2016 decision that the Department of the Interior (DOI) erred in recognizing the newly acquired land as sovereign. Young cited a 2009 Supreme Court decision that said the US government cannot take lands into trust from tribes that were federally recognized after 1934."</i>

Related coverage: <a href="https://thegoldwater.com/news/34827-Elizabeth-Warren-Saying-Mollie-Tibbetts-Murder-Not-A-Real-Problem-Only-Fuels-WalkAway-Movement#34828">Elizabeth Warren Saying Mollie Tibbetts Murder Not A "Real Problem" Only Fuels #WalkAway Movement</a>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Did Elizabeth Warren lie - Should there be an investigation ? <a href="https://t.co/qsRZehImOT">pic.twitter.com/qsRZehImOT</a></p>&mdash; KenMatthews (@KenMatthews) <a href="https://twitter.com/KenMatthews/status/1046744573857419269?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2018</a></blockquote>

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The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe only recently officially recognized as of 2007. The bill being pushed by Warren and fellow Democrat Ed Markey. The seemingly politically-fueled efforts by Warren only serve to highlight the controversy surrounding her claims of Native American heritage. The Democratic senator's recent switch has been surprising considering she was recently against legalized gambling.

During Warran's 2011 run for the Senate, she strongly opposed the successful efforts to expand casino-style gambling in her state of Massachusetts. And as recently as 2014, Warren backed an unsuccessful initiative that would have repealed the expansion on economic grounds. "It's a tough call here. People need jobs, but gambling can be a real problem economically for a lot of people," Warren said in an interview with the Boston Herald. "I didn't support gambling the first time around and I don't expect to support it now."

Well, it seems she has done a complete 180 on her position when it comes to allowing gambling industries to expand and her constituents don't forget things as easily as she'd like them to.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Even if <a href="https://twitter.com/SenWarren?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenWarren</a> says she opposes it, likely means little. She backed casino repeal effort in 2014, that still failed. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/mapoli?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#mapoli</a></p>&mdash; Gintautas Dumcius (@gintautasd) <a href="https://twitter.com/gintautasd/status/778613962866917376?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2016</a></blockquote>

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Related coverage: <a href="https://thegoldwater.com/news/20438-Dem-Senator-Elizabeth-Warren-Refuses-99-DNA-Test-to-Prove-Heritage-Claim">Dem Senator Elizabeth Warren Refuses $99 DNA Test to Prove Heritage Claim</a>

Early in 2018, Warren changed her position on Casinos and promised tribal leaders before the National Congress of American Indians that she would fight against "our country's mistreatment of your communities." Warren had hardly finished her sentence when she decided to sponsor the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Reservation Reaffirmation Act. Warren and fellow Democratic senator Ed Markey both appealed the Interior Department's September ruling against the Mashpee Wampanoag.

The pair of Democratic senators released a statement saying, "America has a painful history of systematically ripping apart tribal lands and breaking its word. We cannot repeat that history. Today's action by the Trump Administration is yet another deal the federal government is reneging on with Native Americans, and it underscores why Congress must pass our legislation."

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey joined Mayor Marty Walsh say unions and working people are being &quot;assaulted&quot; and &quot;attacked&quot; by big corporations <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JanusvsAFSCME?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JanusvsAFSCME</a> <a href="https://t.co/upTi1dHTwy">pic.twitter.com/upTi1dHTwy</a></p>&mdash; Boston Herald Video (@BosHeraldVideo) <a href="https://twitter.com/BosHeraldVideo/status/968231212350394370?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 26, 2018</a></blockquote>

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If Warren's proposed legislation were enacted, it would force the Department of Interior to place of 320 acres of land in Southeastern Massachusetts that is currently owned by the Mashpee Wampanoag into a federal trust. Therefore designating the land a tax-exempt Native American reservation and a casino's dreamland. The newly formed partnership seems to be quite lucrative for both parties.

Related coverage: <a href="https://thegoldwater.com/news/20888-Radio-Host-Howie-Carr-Still-Wants-Elizabeth-Warren-s-DNA">Radio Host Howie Carr Still Wants Elizabeth Warren's DNA</a>

The majority of the risk is being taken on by Genting, a company that has already spent $249.5 million into the estimated $1 billion projects. Genting has generously offered to forgo any return on its investment until the Casino is fully operational. As if things couldn't get any better for Genting, the deal also stipulates that if the casino does not get built, the tribe would be held financially liable for repaying Genting's investment.

Genting is also behind the hiring of Gavel Resources, a government relations firm in Washington D.C., through its law firm Dentons, which will lobby in favor of the casino according to the <a href="https://soprweb.senate.gov/index.cfm?event=getFilingDetails&filingID=33C3F9F5-11EE-4B0A-9E0B-3FC08FA8D259&filingTypeID=1">deals disclosure forms.</a>

Warren's rhetoric has been on full blast in recent weeks with the majority of her public speeches mean to sow discord instead of offer any truth or progress. "Our national crisis of faith in government boils down to this simple fact: People don't trust their government to do the right thing because they think government works for the rich, the powerful, and the well-connected and not for the American people," Warren recently said. "And here's the kicker: They're right."

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Warren and Markey want Trump’s ‘complete plan,’ goals for Syria<br> <a href="https://t.co/xl6SQLzaoO">https://t.co/xl6SQLzaoO</a> <a href="https://t.co/ahwgjtjDy2">pic.twitter.com/ahwgjtjDy2</a></p>&mdash; Boston.com (@BostonDotCom) <a href="https://twitter.com/BostonDotCom/status/850368541933137920?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 7, 2017</a></blockquote>

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<i>On Twitter:</i>

<a href="https://twitter.com/MAGASyndicate">@MAGASyndicate</a>

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Source: https://www.casino.org/news/elizabeth-warren-fighting-for-native-american-casino-in-massachussets

Twitter: #ElizabethWarren #EdMarkey #Casino #NativeAmerican #SpecialInterests #Pocahontas

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