Newspaper traces fund raising

INDIANAPOLIS -- Indiana's newly nominated House speaker and four other lawmakers received a total of at least $50,000 in one of the most expensive fund-raisers ever held for a state-level politician, a newspaper reported Saturday.\nThe Indianapolis Star analyzed recent campaign finance reports to trace the source of contributions at B. Patrick Bauer's May 9 event that was held the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.\nBauer was nominated last week to be the new speaker of the Indiana House.\nThe event was held by several lobbyists with gambling clients days before the General Assembly met to debate a bill Bauer authored to expand gambling in Indiana. Bauer said the event was scheduled before the special session was called.\nMoney raised at the event was divided among Bauer and four Democratic supporters: Reps. William Crawford of Indianapolis, Earl Harris of East Chicago, Ronald Liggett of Redkey and Dennie Oxley of English.\n"It's been described as a gambling fund-raiser. It wasn't. It was friends who came together -- the usual group," Bauer said. "We followed Indiana law."\nBauer blames political rivals and lobbyists who support Republicans for suggesting the gambling link. So many lobbyists and law firms represent gambling clients that almost any fund-raiser could be labeled a gambling event, Bauer said.\nBut Luke Messer, executive director of the Indiana Republican Party, said the fund-raiser drew attention because of the suggested donation level and the timing.\n"It seemed like they went to great lengths to hide the fact this was $10,000 a pop," Messer said.\nThe donations included $5,000 from a lawyer whose firm represents riverboat casinos in Hammond and Lawrenceburg, and $9,000 from an official who represents someone with an ownership interest in Hoosier Park at Anderson.\nAlthough much of the cash came from supporters with ties to Indiana's gambling industry, regulators say they found no illegal money from casino investors.\nOne gambling lobbyist, Lacy Johnson, said he was motivated by friendship. He wrote personal checks to Bauer for $5,000 and later to Crawford for the same amount.\n"Pat's a champion for the little guy," Johnson said. "For me, that's important. I didn't ask for any of my partners to give or any of my clients to give. It was a personal thing"