Just six months after a former Indiana lawmaker was sentenced to a year in federal prison for gambling-related corruption, industry expansion proposals are moving through the Legislature.
The state’s top two lawmakers say despite the controversy, they can’t ignore the industry any longer. Last session, they agreed to take a break from legislation.
“I have no defense of my former colleague,” Republican House Speaker Todd Huston told reporters on Thursday.
Ex-Rep. Sean Eberhart was nabbed for accepting a lucrative job opportunity with a gambling company Spectacle Entertainment in exchange for supporting legislation in 2019 – and pushing for advantageous changes – that benefited the company. Another former lawmaker was sentenced in 2022 for gambling-related election finance schemes.
