Oct 2
2024
Nepotism involving OTB boss Wojtaszek
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OTB President and CEO Henry Wojtaszek, left, Chairman Dennis Bassett, center, and Wojtaszek’s son, Jack, right, during a golf outing last month. Facebook photo.
Henry Wojtaszek’s Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corp. has hired his 23-year old son for a job paying $52,000 annually.
The hiring of Jack Wojtaszek comes as the elder Wojtaszek plans to step down as OTB’s president and CEO on Dec. 31.
A copy of Jack Wojtaszek’s application for a state gaming license, which he submitted in June, shows the North Tonawanda native works as customer relations specialist at Batavia Downs.
Employees in that position are “responsible for the overall management of the customer service aspects of the day-to-day operations,” according to a job description shared by Gaming Commission spokesperson Lee Park. Duties include making sure slot machines are functioning, helping customers collect winnings, collecting customer data, patrolling the gaming floor and aiding with customer retention.
Sources confirmed that Jack Wojtaszek has been working at the racetrack and casino for several weeks.
An OTB board member said the hiring may violate the agency’s conflict of interest policy and said he would ask for an internal inquiry.
Donate to support our nonprofit newsroomThe New York State Gaming Commission said on Monday that Jack Wojtaszek applied for a “video lottery license” to work at Batavia Downs and that he was granted “temporary approval” on Aug. 8.
Payroll records further show that Jack Wojtaszek interned at OTB in 2022 as a “race secretary/track announcer.” That position paid $15 per hour. A public LinkedIn page for Jack Wojtaszek lists that internship.
According to university records, Jack graduated from Penn State University in 2023 with a degree in business administration. His application shows he graduated from St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute in 2019.
Jack Wojtaszek’s application, though heavily redacted, lists the occupations of his parents as part of the information submitted for a background check. His father, the application shows, is the “CEO of Batavia Downs” and his mother — Niagara County Court Judge Caroline Wojtaszek — is a “judge.”
An application and background check form submitted by Jack Wojtaszek to the New York State Gaming Commission.
Neither Henry Wojtaszek nor OTB spokesperson Ryan Hasenauer responded to numerous phone calls or emails about Jack Wojtaszek’s hiring.
Jack Wojtaszek could not be reached for comment. Two phone numbers listed for him were disconnected and he did not respond to an inquiry via one of his social media accounts.
When reached by Investigative Post, Caroline Wojtaszek refused to answer questions.
“I’m a judge, I can’t talk to the press,” she said at first.
“Well, I’m looking for your son, I was wondering if you could pass along his phone number?” Investigative Post replied.
“Which son?” Caroline Wojtaszek wanted to know.
“Jack,” said Investigative Post.
“Why would I give you a phone number for my son Jack?” she questioned.
The reporter then asked: Is it true that your son recently started a job at OTB?
“We won’t ever be talking to the Investigative Post,” she responded. “Thank you.”
She then hung up the phone.
The Facebook page of Batavia Downs, where the photo of Bassett and the Wojtaszeks is displayed.
In a Sept. 11 photo published on the Batavia Downs Facebook page, Jack Wojtaszek can be seen posing on a golf course with his father and OTB Chairman Dennis Bassett.
Jack Wojtaszek listed Rick Winter, father of OTB board member Elliott Winter, as a reference on his application. The elder Winter previously received contracts from OTB for consulting and lobbying services.
The filling of customer relations specialist jobs does not require board approval. Reached by Investigative Post, several board members said they were not aware Jack Wojtaszek had been hired.
Timothy Callan, the OTB board member representing Erie County, said Jack Wojtaszek’s hiring raises concerns.
“This scenario may represent a conflict of interest, and may violate the conflict-of-interest policy,” Callan said in a statement. “It should be referred to the corporation’s board of directors ethics committee by the board chair pursuant to the corporation’s conflict-of-interest policy. I will ask for such an inquiry.”
Upon hearing that Henry Wojtaszek’s son was hired at OTB, leaders at both conservative and progressive good government groups were critical.
“This just falls into the ‘You can’t make this stuff up’ category,” said John Kaehny, executive director of Reinvent Albany. “It’s absolutely highway-billboard, literal nepotism and [shows] how broken and institutionally corrupt Western OTB is.”
Ken Girardin, research director at the Empire Center for Public Policy, agreed.
“There’s a reason OTBs are notorious for devolving into patronage-laden messes,” he said. “It’s because they are environments that reward patronage over merit.”
