Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe reportedly owes $25M to investor

Friday, September 30, 2011  

The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe of Massachusetts owes $25 million to investor Herb Strather, The Cape Cod Times reports.

Strather, a developer from Michigan, bankrolled the tribe's federal recognition effort. Now he wants a payout from any gaming facility that the tribe opens.

"We are seeking a fairness inclusion in the gaming bill that will make the tribe pay their debts before they can get a compact," Strather wrote in a letter to Gov. Deval Patrick (D), the Times reported.

The Massachusetts Senate approved a provision that requires a tribe to disclose debts before negotiating a Class III gaming compact. The language is not present in H.3702, the bill approved by the House.

"Mr. Strather's claims are without merit," the tribe said in response.

Get the Story:
Investor calls Wampanoag on debt (The Cape Cod Times 9/29)

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