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Plymouth Casino Conflict of Interest for Oneto? |
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Thursday, 29 May 2008 |
 In a press release distributed late Wednesday afternoon, County Administrative Officer Terri Daly outlined a response from the Fair Political Practices Commission, or FPPC, regarding Supervisor Brian Oneto and potential conflicts-of-interest in decision making processes involving the Plymouth casino. Near the end of the Board of Supervisor’s ISA negotiations with the Buena Vista tribe, there was much public commotion over Oneto’s property interests in the vicinity of that proposed project, which eventually lead to his abstention from the final vote on the ISA. Oneto also has an interest in a mining claim abutting the site of the proposed Plymouth casino project.  Conflicts of interest outlined in the FPPC’s Political Reform Act dictate that if a public official has a potential “financial interest” in a governmental decision, if it is reasonably foreseeable that the decision will have a material financial effect on the public official’s economic interests. Accordingly, Oneto may not participate in the governmental decision related to the efforts by the Ione Band of Miwoks to take the Plymouth land into trust for the construction of a proposed casino. While the FPPC did determine that a conflict of interest exists in the Plymouth case, it did not address the applicability of limited exceptions that could possibly allow Supervisor Oneto’s participation, notwithstanding the conflict. Supervisor Oneto could not be reached for comment at the time this story was written.
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 11 June 2008 )
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