ONLY ON 3: Government e-mails discuss gambling boat in New Hanover County

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — WWAY has found e-mails on the New Hanover County government server that talk about a gambling boat docking along our coast.

One e-mail was sent by a man named Ron Robinson to County Commission Vice Chair Jason Thompson along with several state legislators. In it Robinson tells Thompson that he met with state Rep. Carolyn justice to review the status of docking a gambling boat at a pier at Seabreeze for offshore gambling.

In the e-mail Robinson says Justice has presented a proposal to the legislators, but another email from Justice to Thompson clarifies what the representative told Robinson.

She writes: “I have not presented the proposal to the legislative members… What I said to Ron was if Perdue gets her wishes and she combines video poker in with the lottery then I think that signals that she has the votes to possibly opening the door to ron’s proposal.”

A copy of the e-mail was also sent to Rep. Danny McComas and senators Bill Rabon and Thom Goolsby. We tried to contact those legislators along with Thompson, but we have only heard back from McComas.

He said he was unaware of any type of legislation regarding a gambling boat.

“I don’t see it happening,” McComas told WWAY. “We addressed that legislatively back in the ’90s. My stance is that I can’t comment to anything either way unless I see it. I haven’t had an opportunity to look into it.”

As for Robinson, the man who sent the e-mail, we have tried contacting him through e-mail, but have yet to hear from him either.