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Minnesota Lottery audit finds high costs, no crimeNews Story
The Minnesota State Lottery spends more money and provides less to the state than comparable lotteries and should revisit its ties to the St. Paul-based marketing company Media Rare Inc., auditors reported Thursday.Legislative Auditor James Nobles released the audit of the lottery about three weeks after former Lottery Director George Andersen died, apparently by suicide. Andersen had met with auditors about the review the day before he was found dead. We found many things to question and critic
Feb 20, 2004, 6:36 am - Lottery News

Bill outlines changes for Minnesota Lottery operationsNews Story
The Minnesota Lottery would have far less independence from the normal checks and balances of state government under a bill proposed by two legislators. It regularizes this agency, Sen. Ann Rest, DFL-New Hope, said Wednesday.Rest and Rep. Tim Wilkin, R-Eagan, the co-chairs of the state Audit Commission, proposed the legislation on the eve of the release of an investigative report on the lottery by Legislative Auditor Jim Nobles.George Andersen, the former lottery director, committed suicide las
Feb 19, 2004, 7:00 am - Lottery News

Extensive Minnesota lottery probe underwayNews Story
Minnesota gambling enforcement agents have begun a sweeping investigation into the Minnesota State Lottery that likely will involve inspecting hundreds of contracts with vendors for any improprieties. It is expected to take months to complete. As far as I'm concerned, there are no boundaries, said Norm Pint, special agent in charge of the gambling enforcement division of the Department of Public Safety, which is conducting the probe.Pint said Wednesday that the investigation was prompted by the
Feb 19, 2004, 6:58 am - Lottery News

Lottery director's friend also tried to commit suicide, report saysNews Story
The state's finance commissioner had been actively reviewing the management of the Minnesota State Lottery when lottery director George Andersen committed suicide.Dan McElroy, who is now Gov. Tim Pawlenty's chief of staff, had found enough lapses to warrant a sharp letter to Andersen but he told reporters Thursday he didn't discover anything that suggested Andersen had done anything criminal. He said he isn't sure whether Andersen would have lost his job over the findings. I'm not aware of any a
Feb 13, 2004, 7:31 am - Lottery News

Minnesota Lottery to cut ties with bass eventNews Story
The Minnesota State Lottery will not sponsor any fishing tournaments this year, Gov. Tim Pawlenty's chief of staff said Thursday.Dan McElroy said interim lottery director Michael Vekich plans to drop the Minnesota Pro/Am Bass Tour promotion. The lottery spent at least $65,000 a year over the past four summers to sponsor the fishing tournaments and solicited money from other sponsors on its behalf, according to lottery records.Former lottery director George Andersen, who killed himself last month
Feb 13, 2004, 7:21 am - Lottery News

Strongly worded letter sent to lottery director before his deathNews Story
After being directed by Gov. Tim Pawlenty, the state's finance commissioner has worked with the Minnesota State Lottery since last spring to tighten operations, but enough lapses continued that a strongly worded letter was sent to lottery director George Andersen shortly before his death, the Pioneer Press reported.Andersen resisted one of the Finance Department's key recommendations and did not address another major shortcoming identified by the agency. That led, in part, to the letter by Finan
Feb 12, 2004, 6:35 am - Lottery News

Minn. lottery director helped steer business to friend's firmNews Story
The late director of the Minnesota State Lottery helped a friend's company keep a lucrative lottery contract, the Star Tribune reported on Saturday.George Andersen was found dead of an apparent suicide on Jan. 27, a day after meeting with auditors who were probing his relationship with the company, Media Rare. The public relations firm was founded by Andersen's friend Michael Priesnitz.Auditors have questioned several lucrative contracts that Andersen approved between the lottery and Media Rare.
Feb 9, 2004, 6:01 am - Lottery News

Interim Minnesota lottery chief namedNews Story
The Minnesota Lottery will be temporarily led by Michael Vekich, the former chairman of a state colleges board who was among Gov. Tim Pawlenty's challengers for the Republican nomination in 2002.Pawlenty announced Vekich's appointment Monday, six days after the suicide of longtime director George Andersen. A soon-to-be released government audit of lottery operations had taken an emotional toll on Andersen, according to family members and friends.Pawlenty referenced the audit in a news release ab
Feb 3, 2004, 5:38 am - Lottery News

George Andersen, Former Minnesota Lottery DirectorNews Story
Minnesota State Lottery Director George Andersen died at the age of 53 on January 27, 2004, leaving his mark indelibly on his family, friends, and the Lottery that he ran successfully for more than 14 years.Andersen, the first and only Lottery director in Minnesota, was appointed by former Gov. Rudy Perpich in 1989. He was the second most senior lottery director in the nation and was widely regarded as brilliant and knowledgeable in his field. A Pennsylvania native, he first served as deputy e
Jan 30, 2004, 11:43 pm - Lottery News

Report: Minnesota Lottery Director haunted by auditNews Story
When Minnesota Lottery Director George Andersen went to work Monday to face a 10-hour meeting with legislative auditors, he acted like he was going to his execution, his wife later told detectives.Darlene Andersen also said that her husband feared that the couple would lose everything because of the audit.The report about Andersen's death, which was released Friday, shows how greatly Andersen's job troubles were weighing on him before he took his life at his Washington County home.Darlene An
Jan 30, 2004, 11:36 pm - Lottery News