Lifetime health insurance for OTB’s departing Wojtaszek

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When Henry Wojtaszek, the president and CEO of Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corp., steps down at the end of the year, he’ll take a gold-plated health insurance plan with him.

The plan features no deductibles, a $25 copay for doctor, specialist and testing visits and drug copays between $5 and $40.

Wojtaszek, according to the buyout agreement obtained by Investigative Post, can participate in one of two plans beginning Jan. 1. Wojtaszek’s employment contract states both he and his family can participate in the insurance plan.

The buyout agreement lists no date for when Wojtaszek’s ability to use the health insurance would end.

“That is beyond ridiculous. I’ve never heard of that,” said Assembly Member Monica Wallace when informed of Wojtaszek’s buyout including health benefits. “[It’s] more frivolous benefits for the leaders of OTB.”

Henry Wojtaszek’s buyout agreement, obtained via the state Freedom of Information Law.

It was not immediately clear if Wojtaszek and his family currently use the insurance plan. Timothy Callan, OTB’s board member representing Erie County, said in a statement that he was “led to believe” Wojtaszek does not and earns additional pay as a result. Wojtaszek’s wife, Caroline Wojtasek, is a Niagara County Court judge, making her and the family eligible for health insurance through the state. Her 10-year term is up at the end of 2030.

Current OTB officials — including Wojtaszek, Human Resources Director Danielle Fleming and OTB Chairman Dennis Bassett — did not return phone calls seeking comment. Neither did OTB spokesperson Ryan Hasenauer.

The health insurance plan is in addition to a buyout payment worth a year’s pay. Wojtaszek earns a base salary of $287,000 and total pay of $299,000. The agreement doesn’t spell out which amount he will be paid. Wojtaszek and other OTB officials signed first-ever employment contracts in April 2023, just prior to the state Legislature instituting reforms that spring.

Wojtaszek, according to his buyout agreement, will also be paid for unused vacation and sick days. The value of those days was not immediately clear. Wojtaszek’s contract states he receives five weeks of vacation annually.

Two other OTB executives — Chief Financial Officer Jacquelyne Leach and Vice President of Administration William White — also received buyout agreements. Leach and White, too, will receive health insurance benefits once they leave their positions, as well as payment for unused time off.

Leach’s buyout is $122,000, according to her agreement, or about half her annual salary. Officials previously said White would receive an $87,000 buyout, but such a payment is not mentioned in his agreement.

OTB practice enables part-time board members to receive health insurance at no cost. Depending on the length and timing of their time on the board, members can be eligible for lifetime coverage. 

Health insurance for board members has been a contentious issue for years. Both the state comptroller and attorney general have opined that OTB board members are not eligible to receive health insurance, as did outside counsel retained by the agency. Nevertheless, OTB under Wojtaszek has continued to provide the benefit.

Investigative Post obtained copies of the buyout agreements under the state Freedom of Information Law. The request was submitted July 12, but OTB officials refused for three months to release the agreements, claiming they were “not fully executed.” 

After an appeal filed by Investigative Post on Sept. 25, the agency relented and released the documents Tuesday. The agreements reveal that Wojtaszek and Dennis Bassett, chairman of the OTB board of directors, signed and dated Wojtaszek’s agreement July 25.

Leach and Bassett signed and dated her agreement July 30. White and Bassett signed and dated his agreement Sept. 26.

Callan, the OTB board member, said in a statement he has been asking OTB leadership for a copy of the buyout agreements for months and was “disappointed” the agency released them to Investigative Post before circulating them to board members. He and other directors were not shown copies of the buyout agreements before being asked to vote to approve them in June, he said, though OTB has since shared copies with him. 

Callan in June was the sole vote against the buyouts.

“I am left to infer that the corporation’s management and board chair did everything they could to prevent a director from seeing the agreement,” he said in the statement. “This is not surprising. WROTB’s management and leadership continues to operate in a secretive, non-transparent manner that does not well serve the corporation, its member governments and the taxpayers.”

Callan, who along with Wallace and state Sen. Sean Ryan, has been critical of Wojtaszek’s buyout, said he was further disappointed that the agreement included health insurance.

“To discover that this buyout agreement will allow him to receive lifetime health insurance through the corporation after he separates from service appears dubious,” he said. “Employees who want to retire and leave the corporation of their own volition should not be given a golden parachute totaling $300,000 on their way out the door.”

Ryan was similarly critical.

“I wish I could say I was shocked to see that the soon-to-be former president and CEO is receiving healthcare coverage for life, but combined with the illegal golden parachutes, we should not be surprised by the continued culture of corruption at OTB,” Ryan said in a statement.

Wallace and Ryan have asked the state Attorney General and Inspector General to investigate the buyouts. Wallace on Wednesday said she has not heard from either. 

J. Dale Shoemaker