That’s football. Sometimes you’re the dog, sometimes you’re the tree.

-- Mario Gotze
9th May 2017  
 
  Dirty money for dirty politics?
 
The Story

Embattled Amaya ex-CEO David Baazov has figured in another scandal after he allegedly made an illegal contribution to the campaign of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, if the new federal charges filed against a prominent political operative are to be believed.

 

Wow. Let’s piece together what I need to know.

First, the political operative is Steve Pigeon who pled not guilty on Monday to charges of conspiracy and facilitating an illegal campaign donation from the CEO of “a Canadian online gaming company” based in Montreal to a New York “public official” running for re-election in 2014.

Second, the $25,000 donation was made at a February 25, 2014 event for Cuomo. Citing state records, it was shown that such a donation existed and was in fact given by Marlon Goldstein, who was appointed Amaya’s general counsel and executive vice-president a month before Cuomo’s February 2014 event.

 

That’s some serious connect-the-dots sleuthing!

It is! Considering the fact that the criminal complaint filed against Pigeon by Acting US Attorney J.P. Kennedy doesn’t name this public official or the company that made the donation.

 

And I thought Baazov is already in deep crap?

He is. Baazov stepped down from Amaya in August 2016 after Quebec’s securities regulator laid criminal charges of insider trading involving Amaya’s PokerStars acquisition. In March, Amaya’s lenders were able to fend off Baazov’s attempts to acquire the company and make it private. He will have his day in court in November.

 
Takeaway

It seems that Baazov got 99 problems and we are just on the tip of the iceberg.

 
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