List of lobbying, political donations by casino interests

Observer Staff

2/28/2006 12:00:00 AM

A breakdown, according to estimates compiled from federal and state lobbying records and PoliticalMoneyLine reports:

-Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe: $15.3 million

-MGM Grand: $8.8 million

-Sault Ste. Marie Band of Chippewa Indians: $2.3 million

-Little River Band of Ottawa Indians: $2 million

-Bay Mills Indian Community: $1.3 million

-Gun Lake Tribe (Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians): $684,000

-Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians: $582,000

-Little Traverse Bay Band of Odawa Indians: $343,000

-Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians: $336,000

-Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians: $258,000

-Motor City Casino/related interests: $200,000

-Grand River Band of Ottawa Indians: $180,000

-Greektown Casino: $175,000

-Nottawaseppi Huron Band of Potawatomi Indians: $100,000

-Keewenaw Bay Indian Community: $47,000

-Hannahville Indian Community: $3,000 Note: Estimates compiled from an Associated Press review of federal and state lobbying records since 2000 and 2001, respectively; state campaign finance records, and a PoliticalMoneyLine review of federal campaign reports.

PoliticalMoneyLine, a Web site that tracks political fundraising, cautions that Indian Tribes do not have to file campaign finance reports with the Federal Election Commission. Disclosure comes from those reporting that they received money from a Tribe. Donations often are reported with several variations of the same Tribal name.

Lobbying firms often report the client names related to federal and state lobby disclosure. Those names often have variations as well.