The Seneca Nation says opponents of its off-reservation casino are stirring up baseless "conspiracy theories."

The tribe opened the Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino in downtown Buffalo, New York. Opponents say Edith Blackwell of the Interior Department's Office of the Solicitor influenced the approval of the facility in order to benefit Michael Rossetti, who represents the tribe.

Blackwell and Rossetti are a couple but the tribe says no laws were broken. "We’re certain the U.S. Government will apply its ethics rules appropriately, but we are also confident that all ethics rules were followed by the two individuals cited in this case," President Robert Odawi Porter said.

"This is old news, first raised in 2002," Porter added. "It’s simply a weak and transparent effort to obscure the legal case. The law is in the government’s favor, and thus the Seneca Nation’s, and this case will be judged on the merits of that law."

An anti-gaming group called Citizens for a Better Buffalo cited the relationship between Blackwell and Rossetti in a court filing last week. The group claims Blackwell recused herself on matters dealing with the tribe but then "unrecused herself" in order to influence a legal opinion that benefited the casino.

"We won’t give weight to highly speculative conspiracy theories woven by the casino’s few opponents," Porter said.

The lawsuit was filed against the National Indian Gaming Commission, which cited the legal opinion in approving the casino. The tribe is not a party to the litigation.

Relevant Documents:
Solicitor's Opinion: Applicability of 25 U.S.C. § 2719 to Restricted Fee Lands (January 18, 2009) | National Indian Gaming Commission Approval of Seneca Nation Casino (January 20, 2009)

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