Casino Operator Helps Governor Get Elected in Kentucky

"There is a very real possibility that this governor has been bought and paid for,"

Kentucky is a state that is hoping to legalize casino gambling sometime in the near future. Their new Governor is pushing the idea, and it may be because of financial backing he received for his campaign.

William Yung is a well known casino operator around the United States. He is the head of Columbia Sussex, which owns and operates casinos in all areas of the country.

Yung has been linked to contributing $1 million to the Bluegrass Freedom Fund that Steve Beshear used to gain election. A financial report filed with the Internal Revenue Service was the source that revealed the contribution.

Several groups feel that the Governor only won the election because of the backing he received from Yung. "There is a very real possibility that this governor has been bought and paid for," said the head of the Kentucky Family Foundation, Kent Ostrander.

The Bluegrass Fund is an organization that can raise money and use it in campaigns as they would like. They must reveal where the donations came from. "To say that he was bought and paid for is inflammatory rhetoric that just doesn't help the discussion," said Jim Cauley, Beshear's Chief of Staff.