Saturday, March 29, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.
They downplay the impact the conflict may have on the still-pending appointment of Gaming Control Board Chairman Bill Bible to a federal gambling study commission.
They also continue to dismiss a recent ABC-TV segment that casino industry critics have been attempting to use to scuttle Bible's appointment.
"What is clear at this time is that there is very little traction to the ABC story," Frank Fahrenkopf, president of the American Gaming Association, said Friday.
"I have heard nothing that leads me to believe that fallout from the ABC story is holding up his appointment," he added.
Fahrenkopf was referring to the March 12 broadcast of ABC's Prime Time Live, which showed former state regulator and convicted felon Ron Harris accusing gaming companies of rigging slot machines.
On Thursday, Attorney General Frankie Sue Del Papa questioned Bible's decision to show gaming executives an edited tape of the Harris interviews, which were conducted by her staff.
Bible showed the tape to executives from International Game Technology and Alliance Gaming Corp., two of the companies Harris accuses.
Del Papa noted Harris is still under investigation in New Jersey, and the tape divulges material in his file. Bible said he did not show anything that was not already in the public domain, and that the companies were entitled to the information.
Fahrenkopf declined to comment on the argument between Del Papa and Bible.
"I'm looking at it from 2,000 miles away," he said from his office in Washington.
Sen. Dick Bryan, D-Nev., was similarly reticent, refusing to comment on whether Bible's action was appropriate.
"I'm not going to get in the middle of a dispute between the attorney general and Mr. Bible," he said.
Like Fahrenkopf, Bryan said he has heard nothing to indicate the White House is backing off plans to name Bible to the nine-member federal gaming commission, although such an announcement has been delayed for weeks.
"I have heard literally that the White House plans to make an announcement next week, but we've been hearing that for months," Bryan said.
Bernie Horn of the National Coalition Against Legalized Gambling, which is lobbying against Bible's appointment, also declined to comment about his confrontation with the attorney general.
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