Wampumgate facts for kids

Wampumgate is the name for a big argument that happened in 1995. It was about a plan for a Native American casino that was turned down. Three Chippewa tribes, who were not very rich, wanted to build a casino in Hudson, Wisconsin. This town is close to the big cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul.

Why the Casino Was Denied

Government papers and investigations later showed that the casino plan was stopped because of money and influence from other Native American tribes. These tribes already had their own very successful casinos, mostly in nearby Minnesota. They worried that a new casino in Hudson would take away their customers.

The tribes who didn't want the Hudson casino included the Ho-Chunk and Mdewakanton Sioux, along with six other tribes. They put pressure on a government official named Bruce Babbitt. He was in charge of the department that made decisions about tribal casinos. Mr. Babbitt had first told his staff to approve the casino, but then he changed his mind and said no.

When Mr. Babbitt gave different reasons for his decision, the head of the Justice Department, Janet Reno, asked for an outside investigator to look into it. This investigator, Carol Elder Bruce, was asked to find out if political donations had influenced Mr. Babbitt's choice.

Looking Into Political Donations

The Chippewa tribes hired a lawyer named Paul Eckstein, who was a friend of Bruce Babbitt. Mr. Eckstein later became upset because Mr. Babbitt suggested to him that money given to politicians by the opposing tribes had played a part in the decision.

The investigation was mainly focused on Mr. Babbitt's actions. Janet Reno decided that the outside investigator could not look into all the money given to politicians during that time.

Who Supported the Opposing Tribes?

The wealthy tribes who didn't want the Hudson casino had strong support from important people in government. This included Senator Paul Wellstone and U.S. Representatives Jim Oberstar, David Obey, and Tom Barrett. Senator Wellstone especially worked hard with other leaders from Minnesota to stop the Wisconsin tribes' casino plan.

Records showed that four of these tribes gave a lot of money to the Democratic political party. They donated $56,000 in 1995 and $225,000 in 1996. These tribes had also given a lot of money to Senator Wellstone and Representative Oberstar.

What Happened in the End

The outside investigator did not find enough proof to bring a lawsuit against anyone. However, the investigator did say that there were some big problems and unusual things about how the decision was made.

Later, in 2000, the government department that had denied the casino decided to stop fighting a lawsuit from the Chippewa tribes. They changed their mind and approved the casino plan. But even then, the plan still needed approval from the governor of Wisconsin at the time, Scott McCallum. He eventually said no to the casino project.