New York candidate won't shut Oneida Nation casino

Tuesday, August 1, 2006  

Jeanine Pirro, a Republican candidate for attorney general in New York, said she wouldn't try to shut down the Oneida Nation's casino if she is elected.

Pirro said the Turning Stone Casino Resort employs nearly 4,000 people. "You have to balance jobs and also make sure the laws are enforced," she told The Albany Times-Union.

The casino is located within the boundaries of the original Oneida Reservation. But the legal status of the property is in question due to a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision.

The tribe has since asked the Bureau of Indian Affairs to take 17,000 acres, including the casino site, in trust. Pirro said she is looking forward to hearing from the BIA on the issue.

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Pirro cautious on Turning Stone's legal status (The Albany Times-Union 8/1)