Dem Who Grilled Whitaker on Gambling Backed by Lobbyists Tied to Internet Gambling

Democratic representative Jamie Raskin (Md.), who last week suggested political impropriety was behind the Justice Department's opinion that internet gambling is illegal, has taken thousands of dollars from lobbyists representing online gaming interests.

During a House Judiciary Committee hearing on Friday, Raskin grilled acting attorney general Matthew Whitaker over his involvement in the DOJ's decision to reverse an Obama administration policy regarding the legality of online gambling. In his line of questioning, Raskin accused the Trump administration of giving into "the demands" of Sheldon Adelson, a GOP donor who has long opposed the expansion of online gaming.

"When Donald Trump won and Mr. Sessions became AG and you became chief of staff … the Office of Legal Counsel found some subtle and invisible points of law that apparently escaped the Department of Justice back in 2011, and it reversed the plain reading of the interpretation which talked specifically about sports betting," Raskin said. "Were you involved in that decision?"

Whitaker told the committee that he and then-attorney general Jeff Sessions were not involved, as they had opted to recuse themselves from the matter because of their relationship with Charles Cooper, a former lobbyist for the Coalition to Stop Internet Gambling.

"Your inference that somehow that process was corrupted or corrupt is absolutely wrong and the premise of your question I reject," Whitaker said.

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