* Mark Maxwell at WCIA…
An employee at the Illinois Gaming Board “acted alone and outside the scope” of their duties when they “improperly accessed confidential information on IGB licensees and applicants and disclosed this information without authorization or justification to three federal government entities,” according to a letter obtained under the Freedom of Information Act.
It remains unclear exactly which federal agencies obtained the sensitive information about gambling interests or applicants, but the leak occurred during an ongoing FBI criminal corruption investigation into state legislators, bribery, and sweepstakes operators. […]
The letter states that Gaming Board staff “also contacted the recipients of these records to inform them of the records’ confidentiality, and to request the records be destroyed, returned to the IGB, or sequestered to prevent further unauthorized disclosure.”
I’m thinking their demands won’t be heeded.
- Bruce (no not him) - Monday, Jan 27, 20 @ 9:24 am:
Nothing to see here. Move along./s
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jan 27, 20 @ 9:27 am:
They will give back “whatever” when they are done with whatever they need them for, and not a second sooner… if at all.
I’m sure those “asked” got a good chuckle.
- DTAG - Monday, Jan 27, 20 @ 9:28 am:
I wonder what happened to the employee, this person is potentially a whistleblower.
- Ron Burgundy - Monday, Jan 27, 20 @ 9:45 am:
Ooh the Gaming Board strenuously objects. Noted.
- statehoss - Monday, Jan 27, 20 @ 9:46 am:
I’m thinking their demands are a sign they’d like to cover something up.
- Huh? - Monday, Jan 27, 20 @ 9:57 am:
I’m sure the G will keep the records confidential right up until the time when they are presented as evidence in court.
- Back to the Future - Monday, Jan 27, 20 @ 9:57 am:
This is just one strange story.
Agree with OW. Some folks in those “federal agencies” are having a good laugh about now.
- Former Candidate on the Ballot - Monday, Jan 27, 20 @ 10:10 am:
Maybe this is a good time for the Governor to look at those who sit on the Gaming Board. Might want to “clean” this up sooner rather than under the scrutiny of an investigation. The signs are there.
- DIstant watcher - Monday, Jan 27, 20 @ 10:26 am:
If the feds subpoenaed the records, they’d most likely get them, state confidentiality rules be damned. The odds of the Gaming Board getting them back are somewhere between slim and none. Don’t bet the ranch on that one.
- Rosemont - Monday, Jan 27, 20 @ 10:28 am:
has to be a NEW issue, via the Rosemont script from years ago
maybe the PR firm that is close to the Pritzker family, that also acted as a lobbyist for the Rockford team OR Sen Link and one of the Waukegan teams
- northsider (the original) - Monday, Jan 27, 20 @ 10:45 am:
So many questions!
Board says they contacted the 4 tops & the federal agencies. Did they also notify the licensees /applicants whose info was disclosed?
Does this involve entities who are currently applying for the new gaming bill licenses, or is this historic information about past applicants who are already licensed?
How did the Board find out the information was sent out? Was there some type of follow up/thank you correspondence from the feds?
Did the employee attempt to raise his/her concerns within the Board first? Where is the paper trail about that?
What kind of whistle blower protections does the Gaming Board provide?
Maybe we’ll get these answers soon. Hopefully before they start passing out the new licenses.
It’s your Board now, Governor.
- Rich Miller - Monday, Jan 27, 20 @ 10:50 am:
===So many questions!
Board says they contacted the 4 tops & the federal agencies. Did they also notify the licensees /applicants ===
I excerpted three short paragraphs and the answer to your question is in the third.
- northsider (the original) - Monday, Jan 27, 20 @ 11:05 am:
===Rich- that’s not what it says, that’s why I questioned it. It says “The letter states that Gaming Board staff “contacted the recipients of these records..”
The Federal agencies are the recipients of the disclosed records.
- Rich Miller - Monday, Jan 27, 20 @ 11:16 am:
northsider, I apologize. Moving too fast and a bit grumpy that I made a small mistake in the Fax today. Sorry.