Washington DC Council’s decision to be reviewed
Reports came this week that the Washington DC Council’s decision to allow internet gambling in the district may be short-lived, mostly due to the councilors’ suspicion of the motives of the original proposer of the plan, Michael A. Brown.
Namely, they are suggesting that the plan needs to be fully inspected, including Brown's activities, in order to make the District the first jurisdiction in the nation to allow online gambling. Reportedly, they have already scheduled a public hearing, which will be held on June 29 before the council’s finance and revenue committee.
At a roundtable organized by the committee chairman, Jack Evans, a number of issues were raised, including the manner in which the measure was enacted last year, without a hearing or debate and regardless of the warnings of the city’s chief financial officer and attorney general, that there is uncertainty over whether federal law permits this kind of online gaming.
Apparently, after the law was passed, it was revealed that Brown was an employee of a gambling-oriented law firm. However, he denied any conflict of interests, claiming that he has left the firm, Edwards Angell Palmer and Dodge, and that no company represented by the firm had business before the council that would have been affected.
