A Queens Congressman says some of the criticism regarding the selection of a politically-connected casino operator to run slot machines at the Aqueduct Racetrack has been sparked by racism. Rep. Gregory Meeks claims Aqueduct Entertainment Group shareholders and community liaisons Rev. Floyd Flake and Darryl Greene have been targeted by project opponents because they are black. "The only two people who come from the community and the only two people of color are singled out."
Federal authorities are currently investigating the selection of AEG and the involvement of the nonprofit New Direction Local Development Group. Meeks is one of the founders of the charity, which is also accused of stealing money from Hurricane Katrina victims. Gov. Paterson's selection of AEG has come under scrutiny, with critics claiming he chose the group in order to win the support of Flake. As the controversy swelled, Greene dropped out of the Aqueduct deal because he had pleaded guilty to stealing more than $500,000 from city agencies in 1999. According to Meeks, he was forced out because opponents are "trying to prevent a local person of color from trying to be part of the process."
In other Meeks news, the tabloid also reports that the southeastern Queens pol—who has been criticized for paying supporters with campaign money and soliciting favors from Venezuelan strongman Hugo Chavez—gave $290,000 of taxpayer money to a pair of convicted drug dealers for a drug education nonprofit.
