LOCKPORT — Henry Wojtaszek attended Tuesday’s Niagara County Legislature meeting where he told lawmakers his return to Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corp. has been clouded by “pure politics.”
During the meeting’s public comment period, the former CEO and president of OTB accused the public benefit corporation’s current management team, led by Democrat and former Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown, of sabotaging his efforts to fully participate in meetings and other activities as Niagara County’s representative on the agency’s board.
While he did not rehash the details of what he described as the “coup of the Albany Democrats” who led an effort to reform OTB’s operation, Wojtaszek said their moves “set the tone” for where the organization stands today. While he said he had “high hopes” for Brown and his team and he worked with them to make sure the transition was smooth, he said he has concerns about the current treatment of OTB employees under the current regime. He alleged that Brown and one of his top aides Steve Casey are attempting to prevent him from serving as an active member of the OTB board for that reason.
“Current OTB leadership is determined to make sure that I cannot voice my concerns,” Wojtaszek said.
Wojtaszek also described the findings of a recently released audit of OTB by Democratic New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli as political in nature while downplaying findings that questioned aspects of the public benefit corporation’s management under his leadership from 2021 to 2024.
As he has on several occasions in the past, Wojtaszek defended his record as the organization’s top executive, suggesting OTB provided record returns to its partner communities, including Niagara County, while he was in charge.
“I’ve been involved in politics my whole adult life so the fact that politics is involved here is not a surprise,” said Wojtaszek, who formerly served as chair of the Niagara County Republican Party. “What is surprising is that some members of the press refuse to see it.”
He also dismissed as “nonsense” a prior audit, released by DiNapoli’s office in 2019, that found OTB executives spent at least $121,000 on tickets to sporting events, concerts, food and alcohol for board members, employees and other individuals without the oversight required by state rules.
“Not only was it overblown, but the issue was resolved,” he said.
The county’s representative on OTB’s Board of Directors spoke on the findings of a recent state audit that raises serious questions about his time managing the state agency.
Wojtaszek told county lawmakers that the audit was political and downplayed its findings.
…
State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli’s April 1 audit report determined OTB management and its board failed to adequately plan and monitor the corporation’s financial operations over a four-year period from 2021 to 2024, a period when Wojtaszek served as president and CEO.
Auditors found OTB made more than $1 million in payments to 14 consultants “without sufficient board approvals” and documented the use by Wojtaszek of more than $1 million in public funds to pay outside lawyers without proper board authorization. The audit also concluded OTB salaries increased by 38% before Wojtaszek stepped down as president and CEO in 2024, taking a $287,000 board-approved buyout with him.
“We determined the board created a lax control environment in which the corporation’s management made key financial decisions with little or no oversight by the board,” state auditors concluded.
During April’s meeting, the legislature’s top Democrat, Minority Leader Jeffrey Elder, D-Niagara Falls, told fellow lawmakers that, “legislators must be willing to “support changes in leadership structure that restore confidence in the institution” of OTB.
“Let me be clear, this is not a routine report,” Elder said. “This audit raises serious concerns about governance, transparency and stewardship of public resources. … This is not about politics. It’s about principle. Our constituents expect us to ask hard questions, such as are the funds being used appropriately, are the decisions being made in the best interest of the public and is there sufficient transparency in how the entity operates?”
Look for more on this story on our website today and in Thursday’s edition.