Jun. 22—Erie County Comptroller Kevin Hardwick has a new set of requests for Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corp. CEO and President Henry Wojtaszek.
At the top of his list: copies of new or extended employment contracts given to Wojtaszek and other WROTB executives during the board of directors' April meeting board, the final session before state lawmakers ousted all 17 directors via language in the now-adopted 2023-2024 state budget.
In a letter sent by his office to Wojtaszek on Wednesday, Hardwick requests copies of all prior employment contracts at WROTB dating back to 2016 and copies of all new employment contracts, including a three-year deal that Wojtaszek previously said would pay him his current salary, $264,898.
The Niagara Gazette and Lockport Union-Sun & Journal and their media partner, Buffalo-based Investigative Post, first reported that OTB's former board met on April 27 — just six days before the new state rules ousted them from their positions — and approved new employment contracts for Wojtaszek and at least two other executives, vice presidents Scott Kiedrowski and William White.
During a June 5 meeting with members of this newspaper's editorial staff, Wojtaszek acknowledged approval of the agreements before denying a verbal request for copies of his contract and any others that were approved by the board in April.
WROTB acknowledged receipt of the newspaper's June 5 written FOIL request for the documents but has yet to respond.
Hardwick, in his latest letter to Wojtaszek, requested copies of any contracts that the former board may have approved for Wojtaszek, Kiedrowski, White and four other WROTB representatives: comptroller Jacquelyne Lynch, director of marketing Ryan Hasenhauer and attorneys Mark Gabriele and John Owens.
"If WROTB has entered into contracts with other individuals, at the aforementioned meeting or elsewhere, please provide those employment contracts as well," Hardwick's letter reads.
In addition, Hardwick asked for copies of all board resolutions related to the contract approvals, and for a justification for the contract extensions.
It's not the first time Hardwick has pressed Wojtaszek and WROTB officials for information.
Last July, the comptroller sent two letters to Wojtaszek — one asking for more detailed information about health insurance provided to part-time WROTB board directors and another raising questions about the sale of land to a group of prominent Buffalo-area businessmen for the development of a hotel, which the agency then bought at a substantial profit to the developers.