LOCKPORT — Republicans in the Niagara County Legislature made it official on Tuesday, returning former Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corp. President and CEO Henry Wojtaszek to the organization, this time as a member of its board of directors.
In a vote largely along party lines, 10 of the legislature’s Republican lawmakers endorsed Wojtaszek’s appointment as a director representing Niagara County on the OTB board. Wojtaszek replaces the county’s former representative, North Tonawanda jeweler Elliott Winter, who resigned last month, citing personal reasons.
Three of the legislature’s Democratic lawmakers and two Republicans objected to the move, suggesting Wojtaszek — whose tenure as OTB’s top executive was marred by a series of scandals — was the wrong choice for the job. They also criticized the decision to appoint Wojtaszek without conducting a search or considering any other candidates.
In appointing him to the post, the county’s Republican lawmakers made good on a prediction Wojtaszek made in text messages he sent last month to current OTB board members in which he said he had been “asked” to accept the position and looked forward to attending the organization’s September board meeting.
“I just want to give you a quick text to let you know that I’ve been asked to replace Elliott Winter on the Western OTB Board and I’ve accepted,” Wojtaszek’s message read. “I look forward to seeing you in September at the Board meeting.”
Prior to Tuesday’s meeting, legislators received copies of a brief Sept. 11 letter in which Wojtaszek expressed interest in the OTB position and a copy of his resume, which he attached to the letter. In interviews following Tuesday’s meeting, Niagara County leaders said Wojtaszek was the only person who expressed interest in the position. Chair of the Legislature, Rebecca Wydysh, R-Lewiston, described the process as “very open.”
“This was a very public position that was open. I received one letter, a request to be considered, which was from Mr. Wojtaszek,” she said. “I received no other calls, emails or letters of request to be considered.”
County Public Information Officer Kevin Schuller said the position was not posted anywhere publicly, but that such appointments typically aren’t.
“We followed the rules and we treated this appointment the way we treat any other one,” Schuler said. “We followed the rules of the legislature. We broke no rules.”
Under state law, appointments to the OTB board must be approved by the legislative body in counties without an executive, like Niagara.
Wojtaszek attended the meeting and, prior to the vote, he and others spoke in favor of his appointment.
“I had an outstanding career. I want to pay it forward and I want to look out for Niagara County,” Wojtaszek told legislators in a brief speech prior to their vote. In his remarks, he noted that under his tenure, hundreds of thousands more in annual payments were made by OTB to Niagara County. He said he would donate his annual pay — around $4,000 — to the YWCA of the Niagara Frontier and a food pantry in North Tonawanda.
Also in attendance on Tuesday were former OTB Board Chairman Richard Bianchi and four others who voiced support for Wojtaszek’s appointment. Having Wojtaszek back at OTB would “boost morale” among employees, one speaker said, while another added that approving him to the board is a “no-brainer.”
“He will be back at the table in a new role and everyone will benefit because of it,” Bianchi said.
Both Wojtaszek and Bianchi declined to comment on the appointment on Tuesday. Wojtaszek at one point left the county courthouse to avoid questioning by reporters.
Wojtaszek’s appointment was not without controversy.
In a Sept. 3 letter, four women in leadership positions wrote to the board of directors “to express our valid concerns and disbelief at the troubling recent news that [Wojtaszek] is potentially joining the Board of Directors.”
The letter, a copy of which was obtained by Investigative Post, stated that some of the women had “filed formal complaints about the mistreatment, disrespect and abuse we have received” from Wojtaszek’s administration.
“This corporation was filled with lawsuits, negative press, nasty and vindictive leaders and they used the Corporation as their own piggy bank,” the women stated. “They did whatever they wanted …”
Investigative Post confirmed the veracity of the letter and that the women who signed it wrote it. In interviews, the women asked that they not be named publicly for fear of retribution from Wojtaszek.
The letter went on to state that Byron Brown — the former Buffalo mayor who took over the president and CEO position from Wojtaszek — has instituted reforms and is treating employees better.
“We applaud your efforts to bring such a strong, competent leadership team in and the Corporation is better for it,” the women wrote to the board. “No longer do we read about misuse of funds, federal investigations, fiscal abuse and sexual harassment of our employees with the new leadership team in charge. Our employees’ voices are finally being heard and we all feel protected and appreciated.”
Wojtaszek’s appointment comes less than a year after he accepted a $287,000 contractual buyout to leave OTB as its CEO and president. Buffalo-area lawmakers called the buyout illegal. His departure followed numerous high-profile scandals involving the organization, including a pair of 2021 audits by New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli’s office that found OTB executives, board directors, family members and friends helped themselves to at least $121,000 worth of tickets and concessions at sporting events and concerts.
In more recent months, the new OTB leadership has said Wojtaszek’s deputy, Chief Operating Officer Scott Kiedrowski wined and dined friends and family for free at Batavia Downs’ bars and restaurants to the tune of $27,000 between 2021 and 2024.
The agency under Wojtaszek was also marred by allegations OTB had awarded contracts to politically-connected companies in Rochester and Niagara County, a charge that the FBI opened an investigation into. Wojtaszek, prior to joining OTB, served as the chairman of the Niagara County Republican Party and former board chairman Richard Bianchi served as a leader of the Monroe County Conservative Party. Former Chief Operating Officer Michael Nolan later alleged Wojtaszek fired him in 2020 for cooperating with federal investigators.
As one of his final acts before he departed Batavia Downs at the end of last year, Wojtaszek hired his son for a job at OTB.
In July, Wojtaszek joined the law firm Lippes Mathias as senior counsel, though he has since left the position.