A gambling commissioner in Iowa was arrested for drunk driving after police observed his car swerving on the highway in De Moines.
Jeff Lamberti, a former Republican Senate Leader who is vice chairman of the state’s gambling commission, first told police he was texting while driving. Then he said he had two beers. Later he said he had four beers, then said he had six beers.
Police found a large bottle of nearly empty Jack Daniels inside a cloth bag that also contained a piece of clothing and several condoms, according to the police report. Lamberti later said he made a stupid mistake and would take responsibility for his actions.
Lamberti’s troubles with the law is just the latest controversy dogging a state gambling commissioner. In Massachusetts, the governor’s pick for the fledgling gambling commission there was accused of child sex abuse. New York’s racing association is ensared in a controversey surrounding overcharging bettors millions of dollars.
In Pennsylvania, the gambling commission has been a rotating group of insiders who cycle off the board only to go represent the casino firms they regulated. Former Gov. Ed Rendell’s first pick to head the gambling board stepped down after it was disclosed that he testified on behalf of a boxing promoter with alleged mob ties.
The legal troubles of commission members and insider politics underscores how the agencies charged with regulating gambling are often part of the problem, nit part of the solution.
