Posted on 07/29/2003 9:32:08 AM PDT by Willie Green
For education and discussion only. Not for commercial use.
Morals czar William Bennett is considering filing lawsuits against Las Vegas casino companies that may have leaked documents detailing his gambling habits.
Bennett, the architect and leading advocate of Nancy Reagan's "Just Say No" anti-drug campaign, was outed in the May issue of The Washington Monthly magazine as a gambler who has wagered -- and lost -- millions over the past decade at Bellagio and Caesars Atlantic City.
During a 60-minute interview with Tim Russert on CNCB this weekend, the former education secretary complained his privacy rights had been "deliberately damaged" while also mocking Las Vegas' latest national marketing campaigns.
"By the way, there's a commercial on that people may have seen about Las Vegas, that 'What happens here stays here.' Well, not in my case. Some people there were trying to do me great harm," Bennett said.
The "What happens here" ad campaign is part of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority's latest marketing campaign to boost tourism to the city.
He argued the magazine report stemmed from the release of "some documents" by the casinos themselves which was not legal and violated his privacy rights.
He alleges documents were selectively leaked to create a false impression that he had a gaming problem.
While Bennett did not dispute the legitimacy of the documents and said he had no problem with the reporters who have written stories on his gambling, he told Russert the release of the information was not legal and he is looking into the possibility of legal action against the casinos.
On Monday, Bennett declined to comment further on the possibility of legal action against the casino companies.
Spokesmen for Park Place Entertainment Corp. , owner of the Caesars Atlantic City, and MGM Mirage, which operates Bellagio, declined comment.
Industry insiders have said details in The Washington Monthly article suggest the data about Bennett's gambling habits might actually have come from documents produced by Central Credit, a subsidiary of First Data Corp. of Greenwood Village, Colo.
Central Credit, which has denied being a source of the documents, is the gaming industry equivalent of credit reporting agency TRW. It allows member casinos to run credit checks on debts, marker activity and repayment habits of casino customers.
Industry experts and civil liberties attorneys doubt Bennett has a cause of action.
Las Vegas professor and casino gambling expert Bill Thompson said Bennett's privacy rights "were violated. I think he has a beef, but I don't know if he has a legal argument."
Allen Lichtenstein, general counsel for the Nevada chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, said "It might be good policy, but in the absence of some policy or contract, it does not appear there is a cause of action," he said.
Thanks Lockbar. I was worried we were running out of judgemental fascist who think they and they alone determine what is "too stupid for words".
I'm sure you'd throw me in jail because I've spent way too much than a normal person for Batman paraphanalia.
Please do me a favor and run for office Lockbar so I can always know someone as smart and all knowing as you will be protecting me from myself.
Jackpot.
I live in Vegas and haven't been to a casino since......? (I really can't rememeber!)
I live in Vegas and haven't been to a casino since......? (I really can't rememeber!)
Ayone who plays the slots for the kind of money that Bennett did is an addict and like any addict he played for the rushes. His denial only makes it worse. High dollar slots are for suckers and addicts.
No, I’m not a Liberaltarian.
You seem to have a memory problem. 'Immediately'? He quit not immediately, but rather after a few months,
Oh please, after his “legal” use of the drug was criticized by hypocrites like you, he quit ‘immediately’. Good thing the aspirin activists didn’t go after him too, what a tempest in a teapot you are.
and only after antitobacco advocates paid for full-page newspaper ads "asking President Bush's drug czar, William Bennett, to take a`drug-free challenge' and quit his two-pack-a-day cigarette smoking habit".
Glad you endorse liberal wacko causes.
Wrong. Folded under political pressure alert. Utter cosmeticism alert.
Doesn’t quite meet the definition of someone who changes their wrong behavior now does it?
I'm sorry, but for a self-professed man of virtue, for someone who makes money bemoaning the decay of America's moral fiber to patently stupid, fawning audiences, to blow millions at games of chance when it could have been spent elsewhere (say, scholarships) is reprehensible.
Are you sure you are a Liberaltarian? I believe that’s one of the funniest things I’ve ever heard one say. He should give ALL his money to charity? He should use his money by your personal standards? Should the 20K per year clerks who by lottery tickets give that money to charity too? Should there be maximum salary caps and the rest given to scholarships? How about a spending cap on vacations and other intangibles that show nothing for their costs? Outlaw private planes and yachts!
You are no better than liberals telling conservatives how to spend their money. How do you know how much he gives to charity? What in your liberal world is the correct amount?
I'm not surprised you can't grasp that concept.
I’m surprised the Liberaltarians don’t kick you out of their social experiment club. Do your parents know you are using their computer?
But you can't prove that. Do you think repeating it over and over makes it true?
Noooooo, anything but that! I cave. I give in. Sorry my master!
Unfortunately, we only had the basic Joe with a hat, gun and one uniform...blonde or brown hair and the scar.
Years later my little brother got 90% of Christmas with all kind of cool GI Joe accessories. I always knew mom hated me! Fortunately, being 16 and having pre-marital sex made up for it!
He has taken responsibility for HIS actions. Now he wants them to take responsibility for THEIR actions.
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