Ties to Farnese cost consultant his SugarHouse casino job

A consultant to a proposed casino in Fishtown quit after he was told he would lose his contract unless he resigned from Larry Farnese's state Senate campaign or convinced Farnese to support the casino.

Ken Snyder, a communications consultant, went to work last month for Farnese, who is seeking to replace retiring state Sen. Vince Fumo. Snyder has worked as a consultant for Fumo since 2000.

Snyder told the Daily News that Dick Sprague, an investor in the proposed SugarHouse casino, issued the ultimatum 2 1/2 weeks ago: Snyder would lose his SugarHouse contract unless he quit Farnese's campaign or convinced Farnese to publicly support the casino project. Snyder chose Farnese.

"SugarHouse plainly wanted me to stay on board but Dick Sprague also felt I had a conflict because I was working for Larry Farnese, which in my opinion is understandable," Snyder said.

Farnese faces John Dougherty, business manager of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 98, and anti-casino activist Anne Dicker in the April 22 Democratic primary.

Dougherty's longtime communications consultant, Frank Keel, is also on the SugarHouse payroll, but said that he was not ordered by the developers to make a similar choice. Dougherty and Farnese publicly share similar views on the subject of where to build two casinos in the city. Both say they are not anti-casino but insist that if developers cannot satisfy concerns of nearby residents, the projects should be moved.

Dougherty, also president of the Pennsport Civic Association, yesterday went further, saying he wants the two casino locations moved. Foxwoods, the other proposed casino, would be built in Pennsport. Dougherty said he had no involvement in SugarHouse's decision on Snyder.

He suggested that the ultimatum for Snyder may be the result of a split between Sprague and Fumo. Fumo goes on trial later this year on corruption charges. Sprague had been Fumo's defense attorney.

Sprague did not respond to requests for comment.

Leigh Whitaker, a SugarHouse spokeswoman, said that the developers wanted to keep Snyder on the job but considered his work for Farnese to be a conflict. They see little difference between opposing their location and opposing casinos in general, she said.

Farnese, Whitaker added, has supported anti-casino groups "that have been fighting against us for two years."

As for Keel's contract, Whitaker said Dougherty isn't a political foe for SugarHouse like Farnese.

"I don't see Dougherty as someone who has in the past worked actively against us," she said.

One of Snyder's chief duties for SugarHouse was nurturing the elusive and important goal of establishing community support.

A group of local residents who support the project formed Fishtown Action. Snyder often attended monthly meetings of the group, which is known as FACT.

Donna Tomlinson, a FACT founder, said that the group was disappointed with the loss of Snyder. "Do we have a bond with him? Absolutely," she said. "What he does outside of SugarHouse, I really don't care about if it doesn't affect my neighborhood."

Tomlinson said that FACT will continue working with SugarHouse toward developing a community benefits agreement. But she noted that Keel has worked for state Rep. Mike O'Brien, a Dougherty ally who has opposed SugarHouse.

That's not something FACT holds against Keel, she said. "It's apples and oranges at this point as far as we're concerned," Tomlinson said.

"We know [Snyder is] a consultant the same way that Keel is a consultant." *