The return of Henry Wojtaszek to the Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corp. has thrown the gambling agency into turmoil, pitting the former CEO against his successor, Byron Brown.
OTB insiders told Investigative Post they believe Wojtaszek is waging a stealth campaign to reassert his influence over the organization. Wojtaszek, one source said, is “on his revenge tour.”
The latest manifestation of Wojtaszek’s campaign appears to be a lawsuit filed against OTB by a former bar manager who claims he was wrongfully terminated. The lawsuit alleges that the staff of OTB has split into two camps since Brown took over in late 2024: those allied with the former Buffalo mayor, and those allied with Wojtaszek.
David Hughson, a 21-year veteran of OTB, claims he was fired from his part-time bar manager gig because Batavia Downs has become “factionalized.”
“(Hughson) had never previously experienced the same type of hostility, factionalism, exclusion, and retaliation that occurred under the management structure involving (Chief of Staff Steven) Casey and Mr. Brown,” the lawsuit claims.
The lawsuit is just the latest in a series of controversies brewing since last summer.
In that time:
• Brown and his chief of staff, Steven Casey, released a report that blamed a senior official — who turned out to be Chief Operating Officer Scott Kiedrowski, a longtime friend and ally of Wojtaszek — for helping himself and his friends to $27,000 worth of food and drinks from the bars and restaurants at Batavia Downs.
• Wojtaszek, former chairman of the Niagara County Republican Party, was appointed to the OTB board by the GOP-controlled county Legislature in September.
• A group of longtime female employees wrote a letter to the board of directors urging them to stop Wojtaszek from returning. Wojtaszek’s wife, a Niagara County judge, then berated one of the women at a public event at Batavia Downs. The State Commission on Judicial Conduct is investigating, sources said.
• State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli released a critical audit that found Wojtaszek and the board of directors mismanaged OTB’s finances over a period of four years.
Now comes Hughson’s lawsuit, which blames Brown and Casey for playing favorites and unfairly targeting employees they believe are allied with Wojtaszek.
For losing his job under such conditions, Hughson is seeking $15 million in damages. His lawsuit states he earns between $30,000 and $35,000 annually. Salary records show he was paid $22.16 per hour in 2025.
Nine sources, most speaking on background, told Investigative Post that tensions have risen within the organization since Wojtaszek returned to the board. Wojtaszek’s return, one source said, has caused “a lot of angst” and that “staff themselves don’t know who to listen to.”
Another source, a longtime employee who declined to speak on the record for fear of retaliation, put it this way: “Henry Wojtaszek is the puppet master,” they said. “He’s got all his little minions that he promoted and put in different departments. And now he’s pulling the puppet strings and they’re doing exactly what he’s saying to create problems for current management.”
Hughson’s lawyer, John Bartolomei of Niagara Falls, denied that Wojtaszek had any connection to the lawsuit, saying “the pleadings speak for themselves.” Between 2018 and 2020, state records show Bartolomei donated $2,250 to political campaign accounts of Caroline Wojtaszek, the county judge and Henry Wojtaszek’s wife.
Henry Wojtaszek did not return a request for comment for this story.
Complicating matters is that Wojtaszek lacks a state gaming license, a requirement to serve on OTB’s board.
In an April 6 letter obtained by Investigative Post, Robert Williams, executive director of the state Gaming Commission, admonished OTB leadership for allowing Wojtaszek to participate in board meetings as a non-voting member without a license. Even if he wasn’t voting, the appearance of Wojtaszek’s name in meeting minutes and on OTB’s website, Williams wrote, could make the public think he was a full board member.
“This is inaccurate and misleading to the public,” Williams wrote. “Unless and until qualified by the Commission, Mr. Wojtaszek cannot lawfully participate as a member of the Western Board.”
At the same time, Sen. Jeremy Zellner has introduced a bill that would prevent Wojtaszek from obtaining a gaming license at all. He argues the former CEO mismanaged the corporation, which is legally mandated to send its profits to New York State and the 17 municipalities that control it.
“The fact is that Mr. Wojtaszek should not be anywhere near OTB right now,” Zellner said.
For more on this story, visit Investigative Post.org.