As the press continues to dig into Donald Trump‘s past, it’s uncovering activity that is vile even by Trump’s debased standards. Such is the case in his race-baiting campaign 
against the casino application of the St. Regis Mohawks. Not man enough to oppose the tribe openly, Trump hid behind the bogus front of the so-called New York Institute for Law & Society. Sounds very prestigious and academic, doesn’t it? It boasted 1,200 “pro-family” contributors but, except for a couple of $20 checks, only had one underwriter: Donald Trump.
Run by political dirty trickster Roger Stone, the “institute” failed to provide Trump with plausible deniability because he had his hands in its mudslinging up to the elbows. According to the Los Angeles Times, Trump was “not just paying the bills, but signing off on ad copy or radio scripts depicting the tribe as violent criminals and drug dealers. When Stone hired private investigators to dig up dirt on the Mohawks, Trump secretly paid the bills.” “Drug Dealing at Monticello” rhetorically asked one of the Trump-approved ads. (This from a man who once vouched for drug dealer Joseph Weichselbaum.) The tribe, you see, already had a casino in northern New York State but was seeking one closer to Manhattan, at Monticello Raceway.
Trump’s real motive, of course, was to protect his Atlantic City casinos from upstate tribal competition. But the New York Temporary Commission on Lobbying saw through the sham and fined Trump $250,000, even — rather astoundingly — forced him to make an semi-apology for his tar-and-feathers rhetoric. The “Institute” also, quite hypocritically, called for presidential candidate Gov. George W. Bush (R) to pick an anti-gambling running mate — a shot at New York Gov. George Pataki (R). In all, Trump poured $1.5 million into sliming the Mohawks … money that would have been more wisely spent sprucing up his aging casinos.
Fortunately for Trump, the St. Regis Mohawks made an inviting target. In 1999, U.S. authorities made 26 arrests on their reservation for cocaine trafficking and confiscated 
firearms. Another 35 St. Regis members were indicted for smuggling illegal immigrants across the border, touching upon a now-familiar Trump meme. Trump ads also accused the Mohawks of colluding with the Mob to slip zillions of cigarettes into the U.S. — pretty big talk from a casino owner who was significantly mobbed-up, including in Atlantic City and elsewhere.
“If you think this stinks, it’s because casino gambling stinks. It brings increased crime, bankruptcy, broken homes, divorce, and in the case of Indian gambling, violence,” sniveled one ad, managing to be hypocritical and racist in the same breath, tossing in an accusation of “opening the door for organized crime” for good measure. (Talk about the pot calling the kettle black!) According to Stone, Trump saw all the ads and personally approved every expenditure.
The tribe missed the target in its response, saying, “This is all racist propaganda promoted
by special interest and racist groups hiding behind organizations such as the Institute for 
Law & Society.” Stone even found a front man, one Thomas Hunter, to “answer the telephone and talk to reporters.” “For all the hoopla Trump went through, it didn’t matter,” said lead investigator David Grandeau: Internal Mohawk conflicts killed the Monticello initiative.
However, since Trump has made noises about getting back into the casino business, specifically in Las Vegas, it’s worth noting that casino aspirants are expected to be of good character. When it comes to approving a Donald Trump license, regulators should just say “no.” As for the prospect of a Trump presidential administration, history should cause Native American leaders to be very skeptical of getting a square deal from someone so devoid of scruples.
* Not content with keeping PokerStars out of California, the coalition led by Pechanga Resort & Casino has upped the ante. It wants “bad actors” to pay $60 million to regulate the Internet-gaming industry in the state (while presumably still not being allowed to participate in it). This story nicely enumerates the saga to date, including all the bells and whistles on Rep. Adam Gray‘s bill, currently awaiting action in the state Assembly.
* What happens if your casino sits on a flood plain and is constantly under the radioactive threat posed by the nearby presence of spent nuclear fuel rods. If you’re the Prairie Island Indian Community — owner of Treasure Island Resort & Casino — you buy up 112 acres of Minnesota land along I-94 and apply to have it taken into trust. The tribe says it doesn’t have any plans for the strategically located parcel yet but you’d have to be crazy to think the word “casino” hasn’t crossed their minds.
* BCN World, the casino metaresort planned for Barcelona, is still on the rails but in a greatly reduced form (one-seventh of its original size) and with a mouthful of a new name: Leisure & Tourism Complex of Vila-Seca & Salou. Although Sheldon Adelson swore off Spanish casino development a long time ago, major players remain in the game. Melco Entertainment, Hard Rock International and Genting Group are among the contenders tipped for the casino portion of the project.
This just reinforces my mistrust of Trump. He’s a bully who will say anything to stir discontent and invalidate anyone who disagrees with him.
He is not qualified to be Commander in Chief.