Richmond Casino Opponent Sues Election Board Over Voter Data 

Posted on: August 31, 2023, 04:53h. 

Last updated on: August 31, 2023, 04:53h.

A political activist in Richmond, Va., fighting city leaders over efforts to develop a casino in the city claims he is being denied an opportunity to present his case for voters.

Paul Goldman, a local attorney and political consultant, established a new political group, No Means No Casino, to advocate against a ballot measure that would authorize the casino project. Richmond voters narrowly rejected a similar casino referendum in 2021, but city leaders want to revisit the question this year.

Goldman’s group wants to send mailers to voters and run a door-knocking campaign using voter data from the Virginia State Board of Elections, but he says the board is violating his constitutional rights by not handing it over.

Under state law, voter data must be made available to candidates and political action committees, and Goldman says his group should be entitled to the same data to argue its case against the casino measure ahead of the Nov. 7 election. However, he said elections officials refused to share the information.

Lawsuit Filed

Goldman has filed a lawsuit in Richmond City Circuit Court against Virginia Department of Elections Susan Beals and members of the Board of Elections, according to a copy of the complaint provided to Casino.org.

A Department of Elections spokeswoman said the department does not comment on pending litigation.

Plans for the ballot referendum has so far survived a separate legal challenge from another Richmond nonprofit attempting to block the measure arguing that it amounted to an illegal no-bid contract and would harm charitable gaming operators.

Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney and members of the city council have been broadly supportive of plans for the new casino, which they say will bring jobs and economic development to the city. Project proponents plan to unveil new plans for the half-billion dollar facility Thursday evening.

Goldman says out-of-state interests are preying on residents and the project will not deliver on its promises.

Grocery Magnates Fund Opposition

No Means No Casino was established in late July, according to paperwork filed with the State Board of Elections.

The organization has received a single cash donation of $100,000 from Barbara and Jim Ukrop, scions of a popular local chain of grocery stores and backers of an earlier anti-casino effort. Richmond Action, LLC, another organization founded by Goldman, has made nearly $40,000 worth of “in kind” contributions, according to campaign finance records.

Source: casino.org