Wynn’s albatross; Culinary gets wrist slapped

Steve Wynn‘s Everett casino project is getting pinned down by fire from several directions. Boston City Attorney Thomas Frongillo argues that a sale to Wynn Resorts by FBT Everett Realty LLC should be voided because the latter concealed an ownership stake held by convicted felon Charles Lightbody. “They shouldn’t be entitled to earn a penny of profit on this, not one red cent, for what they’ve done,” he told the Massachusetts Gaming Commission. Ex-state inspector general Gregory Sullivan calls l’affaire Lightbody “a plaguing, dark problem for the commission … a serious concern.” “A group of people attempted to hide a disqualifying factor from you so that they could make a handsome profit,” testified Frongillo.

Thrown on the defensive, commissioner Bruce Stebbins says “I appreciate the city of Boston’s concerns about the suitability of the current property owners.” Colleage Gayle Cameron concurs that she’s “concerned about the land deal, but I do look at that as a separate matter.” Still, given the lack of clear resolution, one feels the momentum slipping from Wynn’s grasp and toward Mohegan Sun, which appears likely to negotiate a surrounding-community agreement with Boston.

Suffolk Downs also figures in hearings held by the Supreme Judicial Court. Turns out that one jurist, Robert Cordy represented the track … roughly 20 years ago, when Suffolk Downs was under different ownership and was trying to join forces with the Wampanoag Tribe to obtain a racino. However, rather than ask for a recusal, Cordy’s detractors are content to grumble that “casino money had infiltrated every branch of government.” Anyway, being 11,485 signatures short of qualifying for the November ballot, casino opponents have bigger fish to fry.

* In Indiana, competition from neighboring states has gotten the attention of the Lege. It wants to keep casino revenue high, the casinos want lower taxes and cities want the same level of revenue as before — which seems a mite unrealistic as Ohio, Michigan and Illinois continue to nibble away at the Hoosier State.