David W. Anderson
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David W. Anderson, most well-known as the founder of the Famous Dave's restaurant chain, is the current head of the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs (as of 2004) with the title Assistant Secretary. Anderson is a Choctaw and Ojibwe Indian, and lives in Edina, Minnesota. He was born in Chicago, Illinois, and grew up there as well as on reservations in Wisconsin.
Since he first took over as head of the department in February 2004, Anderson has become involved in controversy because of his previous business partnership with Lyle Berman. Berman is a gambling entrepreneur who had Anderson sign on as an investor when his company, now known as Lakes Entertainment, was started. Some people view this as a conflict of interest, although Berman has stated that Anderson has not been involved with the company for nearly a decade.
Still, the connection between Anderson and gambling has been viewed as a major conflict for Anderson. He stated that he would recuse himself from any decisions relating to Berman. A few months later, he stated that he would let others handle all decisions related to gambling. This drew fire from leaders in the Congress, as oversight of casino gambling on Native American reservations takes up much of the resources of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Anderson has stated that allows him to focus on other ways to improve the lives of Native Americans living on reservations in the U.S., a view that some sympathize with because many believe that, overall, Indian casino gambling has not helped those populations.
References
- Kevin Diaz (June 14, 2004). Ties to gambling haunting Anderson. (http://www.startribune.com/stories/587/4826728.html) Minneapolis Star-Tribune.