Officials with the Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians had hoped to have a management contract with Trump Hotel and Casino Resorts approved as long ago as January. We are moving forward on that.
Trump is no stranger to controversy.
In August, he admitted to illegally funding a group that lobbied to thwart a movement to bring American Indian casinos to upstate New York. There is no indication the indiscretion is holding up approval of the management contract. But Gene Gambale, general counsel for the Twenty-Nine Palms tribe, said the deal with Trump will be heavily scrutinized. These situations are never black and white. That the contract is up for approval during a building boom in the Indian gaming industry makes the process even slower.