U.S. Supreme Court nominee Harriet E. Miers is already facing doubts due to her lack of a public record but some are finding potential problems in her gaming work.

Miers, a lawyer from Texas, was appointed by then-governor George W. Bush to head the Texas Lottery Commission. Although she had no prior experience in gaming, the White House says she was brought in to clean up the panel, which had been created by former Democrat governor Ann Richards.

But some Texas Democrats say Miers came in with a partisan agenda. A worker who was fired over an alleged conflict of interest accused Miers of trying to rid the commission of Democrats. The fired worker's replacement was himself fired by Miers after just four months when he tried to look into a lobbyist who may have helped Bush escape service in the Vietnam War.

At the time of Miers' role on the commission, the state was fighting to close casinos owned by the Tigua Tribe and the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe. At a public hearing, Miers expressed concerns that "casinos" might be drawing business away from the state lottery.

Get the Story:
Questions Linger on Role of Miers in a Contract to Run the Texas Lottery (The New York Times 10/7)
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Supreme Court nominee was gaming regulator (Indian Country Today 10/7)
Did Miers spark attack on Tigua casino? (Indian Country Today 10/7)

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