PITTSBURGH -- There are accusations that improper political pressure is being put on the state Gaming Control Board to approve new leaders of Pittsburgh's North Shore casino project.

State Sens. Jane Orie and Jim Ferlo said they believe the slots license held by PITG Gaming's Don Barden should go up for new bidding by any interested competitors instead of being transferred to a group led by real estate billionaire Neil Bluhm.

Barden acknowledged last week that he couldn't line up enough permanent financing to finish the project. Construction has stopped because he can't pay the general contractor.

Barden and his new casino business partners apparently had conference phone calls with Gov. Ed Rendell as they tried to hammer out their deal in writing, according to the two senators.

"To be that involved in pushing this forward is unethical," said Orie, R-McCandless. "I believe it never should have happened. None of these communications should be happening."

Bluhm and his business partners at Walton Street Capital and High Pitt Gaming have signed a deal to hold 75 percent of the Pittsburgh casino under a new name of Pittsburgh Gaming Holdings. Barden would no longer be the CEO and would only be a 25 percent partner.

"These shenanigans are going on basically to ensure that Mr. Bluhm can come through the back door and acquire this gaming license," said Ferlo, D-Highland Park.

Rendell spokesman Chuck Ardo said Rendell's role was to help bridge some differences toward the end of the deal.

"His role was simply to facilitate an agreement that ensured that all previous commitments that had been made would be kept, and specifically the commitments to the Penguins' arena," Ardo said.

At least two gaming board members also got calls about the Pittsburgh casino license from House appropriations Chairman Dwight Evans -- and Orie and Ferlo said that broke the law.

"Either recuse them -- they can't hear this part (of the license request) -- or remove them, based on the sanctions," Orie said.

"This is becoming a sham situation and it's just reprehensible, and I don't think it should be tolerated, and the board should be held accountable," Ferlo said.

"They're simply being silly," Evans' spokeswoman said. "They need to be more concerned about this project moving forward. It serves no one's best interest for this casino project to collapse."

The gaming control board has yet to approve the new Barden deal and did not respond to requests for comment by Channel 4 Action News on Friday.

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