The developer who broke ties with the Catawba Nation’s casino project over an unlawful ownership agreement is now pushing for legislation that would allow him to build South Carolina’s first legal casino.
Wallace Cheves, a politically connected conservative megadonor and businessman, intends to build a $1 billion casino off Interstate 95 in Santee, a town between Columbia and Charleston in Orangeburg County. His development group pitched the casino as a “transformative” resort that could drive the economy in an underprivileged area without spending any tax dollars to get it started.
The Catawba Nation sees the announcement as the latest in a series of attempts to exploit the tribe, according to Chief Brian Harris.
