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The Intoxication of Gifts and Fellowship
Monday, August 1st, 2011
Robert Wechsler
A
very lengthy article in yesterday's News Journal looks at the
history of relations between Delaware legislators and Christopher
Tigani, formerly the top executive with Delaware's top liquor
distributor. The article provides an instructive look at corporate and personal
influence.
The story is summed up in a former state senator's words, "People in Dover [the state capital] become intoxicated with power, and Tigani brought more intoxicants."
The legislators' attitude is summed up in the words, "Nobody's going to influence me for a keg of beer."
Elected officials came to the distributor whenever they wanted, and carted off beer and liquor. "A familiar sight was Tigani relaxing over drinks with Senate power brokers in the pro tem's office after session." But legislators said they had no idea where the liquor came from. Nor, apparently, did they ask. Or need to ask.
Tigani did not register as a lobbyist, but spent a great deal of time with legislators, taking them, by the busload, to football games, Jimmy Buffett concerts, and NASCAR races. He provided free liquor and discounted food to campaign events. He provided free employees for campaign duties. He flew a governor to a conference in Quebec City, and no disclosure was made by Tigani (since he didn't register as a lobbyist) or by the governor, because, as the governor said, when the expenses ($18,000) were divided between all participants, "it was not expensive enough that we had to report it" (the bottom limit was $200).
What did the liquor distributor get for all his trouble? "Every piece of legislation in the last decade that Tigani either supported or opposed went his way. Between 2008 and 2009, the General Assembly raised nearly every tax on the books — except the alcohol tax. Tigani successfully lobbied for Sunday sales, although it was fiercely opposed by Teamsters Local 326, which represents drivers, warehouse workers and mechanics in the liquor industry." And Delaware wineries were required to sell exclusively through liquor distributors.
"In 2004, when Tigani needed a site in Milford to expand the company's midstate warehouse operation, he went right to the top. Very quickly, an urgent email referred to as a 'high priority Governor's request' went out from the Delaware Economic Development Office. ... Tigani got a sweet, long-term land lease for the company on Del. 1 in Milford, and before long, an entrance was carved to the site off the limited-access highway."
This year, state legislators finally legalized Tigani's practice of providing free liquor to campaign events. Before that, they said they didn't realize it was illegal.
But Tigani is no longer in charge of the distributor. In June, he admitted to having laundered campaign contributions through his company's employees. In other words, he was found to have personally violated the law, but his role at the center of an ongoing and far more damaging institutional problem was not enforced.
According to the article, there was one thing that stood out among all that Tigani bestowed on the state's legislators. A keg of beer may not influence a legislator, but years of handing out liquor and contributions, as well as the more important fellowship of a rich, charismatic man can (and did) make a huge difference.
It is natural to deny such influence, but we are all influenced, often intoxicated, by someone special who gives us gifts and special attention. It's only human. It shouldn't be so hard to admit that we're human and that, because of this, there have to be good ethics laws to prevent our humanness from being tested.
Robert Wechsler
Director of Research-Retired, City Ethics
203-859-1959
The story is summed up in a former state senator's words, "People in Dover [the state capital] become intoxicated with power, and Tigani brought more intoxicants."
The legislators' attitude is summed up in the words, "Nobody's going to influence me for a keg of beer."
Elected officials came to the distributor whenever they wanted, and carted off beer and liquor. "A familiar sight was Tigani relaxing over drinks with Senate power brokers in the pro tem's office after session." But legislators said they had no idea where the liquor came from. Nor, apparently, did they ask. Or need to ask.
Tigani did not register as a lobbyist, but spent a great deal of time with legislators, taking them, by the busload, to football games, Jimmy Buffett concerts, and NASCAR races. He provided free liquor and discounted food to campaign events. He provided free employees for campaign duties. He flew a governor to a conference in Quebec City, and no disclosure was made by Tigani (since he didn't register as a lobbyist) or by the governor, because, as the governor said, when the expenses ($18,000) were divided between all participants, "it was not expensive enough that we had to report it" (the bottom limit was $200).
What did the liquor distributor get for all his trouble? "Every piece of legislation in the last decade that Tigani either supported or opposed went his way. Between 2008 and 2009, the General Assembly raised nearly every tax on the books — except the alcohol tax. Tigani successfully lobbied for Sunday sales, although it was fiercely opposed by Teamsters Local 326, which represents drivers, warehouse workers and mechanics in the liquor industry." And Delaware wineries were required to sell exclusively through liquor distributors.
"In 2004, when Tigani needed a site in Milford to expand the company's midstate warehouse operation, he went right to the top. Very quickly, an urgent email referred to as a 'high priority Governor's request' went out from the Delaware Economic Development Office. ... Tigani got a sweet, long-term land lease for the company on Del. 1 in Milford, and before long, an entrance was carved to the site off the limited-access highway."
This year, state legislators finally legalized Tigani's practice of providing free liquor to campaign events. Before that, they said they didn't realize it was illegal.
But Tigani is no longer in charge of the distributor. In June, he admitted to having laundered campaign contributions through his company's employees. In other words, he was found to have personally violated the law, but his role at the center of an ongoing and far more damaging institutional problem was not enforced.
According to the article, there was one thing that stood out among all that Tigani bestowed on the state's legislators. A keg of beer may not influence a legislator, but years of handing out liquor and contributions, as well as the more important fellowship of a rich, charismatic man can (and did) make a huge difference.
It is natural to deny such influence, but we are all influenced, often intoxicated, by someone special who gives us gifts and special attention. It's only human. It shouldn't be so hard to admit that we're human and that, because of this, there have to be good ethics laws to prevent our humanness from being tested.
Robert Wechsler
Director of Research-Retired, City Ethics
203-859-1959
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