A source says Attorney Andrew Cuomo is heading north to Rhode Island to raise some cash for his coffers tonight at the home of the head honcho of a company that landed a $600 million contract with the New York State Lottery last year.
The fundraiser is called for 6:30, according to one source, and is said to be hosted by Donald Sweitzer, the head of GTECH, a leading electronic gambling company. GTECH last year was awarded massive contract with the New York State Lottery. The contract, which lasts seven years and kicked into effect last month, is for the technical infrastructure of the state lottery system, according to a press release from last year.
Cuomo has an impressive cash haul, one that will be extremely difficult to combat, for his not-yet-declared gubernatorial run.
UPDATE: The contract GTECH won through an RFP process – aimed at converting the entire lottery system’s infrastructure – actually kicked in in September 2009, according to a state lottery spokeswoman.
Before it took effect, the contract was reviewed by both State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli’s office, and Cuomo’s state office, according to .the spokeswoman.
The value of the contract is $600 million over the seven years. Lottery ofificals said it doesn’t come up for renegotiation during the next four years, meaning not during a theoretical first Cuomo term as governor.
It would come up for review during a second theoretical term.
UPDATEx2: A Cuomo spokesman insisted the AG’s office has no real role in the GTECH contract, and merely reviewed it for legal language after it had been gone through.
“The Office of Attorney General plays no role in deciding who receives state contracts from the New York State Lottery. Its role is limited to the ministerial task of reviewing contracts for legal form after they have been granted,” the spokesman said.