The St. Regis Mohawk Tribe criticized Empire Resorts, its former gaming partner, for proposing a rival gaming project in the Catskills region of New York.

The tribe and Empire planned a $600 million off-reservation casino at the Monticello Raceway in the Catskills. But Empire is now proposing a $700 million casino resort just a few miles away at the Concord Resort -- with Donald Trump as a potential partner.

“Empire Resorts has thrown the Mohawks under the proverbial bus,” Chief Lorraine M. White told The New York Times. “They have destroyed a partnership and a project destined for approval in exchange for a deal with the devil. Donald Trump vowed to fight any Mohawk casino in the Catskills, and by the looks of things, he has succeeded.”

The tribe said it would withdraw all of its agreements with Empire along with a lawsuit filed last month that challenges the Bush administration's rejection of the Monticello project. The Bureau of Indian Affairs, citing new policy, said the proposed casino was too far from the reservation.

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Proposal for Catskill Resort Turns Old Rivals Into Partners, and Vice Versa (The New York Times 2/12)
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