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Seneca Nation president speaks out about NY using casino funds to pay for Bills stadium

A video was posted Wednesday afternoon to the Seneca Nation media page on Facebook to their members.

IRVING, N.Y. — Seneca Nation President Matthew Pagels is speaking out after New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced that money from casino funding will be used to pay for a new stadium for the Buffalo Bills.

A video was posted to the Seneca Nation media page on Facebook on Wednesday afternoon to their members.

Hochul made the announcement Tuesday evening about where the state's portion of the casino funds were going after the state received the payment from the Seneca Nation. 

In his statement, Pagels said, "In one breath, New York's hostile and shameless greed was laid for the world to see. Hundreds of millions of dollars from Western New York, in her own words, given to billionaires after intentionally and unnecessarily holding the Senecas and thousands of Western New Yorkers and families hostage for several days by strangling various bank accounts held by the nation and our businesses. 

"Governor Hochul couldn't contain her excitement to boast about her Seneca ransom money for a new stadium," Pagels said in his statement. 

The bank accounts for the Seneca Nation were frozen over the weekend at the request of New York State, who had given the Senecas until March 14 to make a payment to the state in agreement with the casino gaming compact.

The Seneca Nation Council voted Monday to approve the transfer of funds that would allow the Nation to make the $564,842,625.20 payment to the state. This amount covers the period of January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2021.

In her statement on Tuesday, Hochul said: 

"Since the beginning of my administration, I have been committed to resolving this dispute and securing the funds that State and local governments are owed. The courts have consistently ruled in the State's favor, yet no payments were made. Upon taking office, I sought to negotiate in good faith, and we have met every hurdle. I am pleased to have finally reached a resolution, and the full $564 million has been received by New York. 

"These funds were generated in Western New York, and I am directing the State's share, which is more than $418 million, to the new Buffalo Bills stadium. This will ensure the Bills remain in New York State and support 10,000 construction jobs. The remainder of the funds will go directly to the counties and cities of Western New York and be reinvested to support the local economy and communities.  

"I thank President Pagels and the Nation leadership for fulfilling their commitment to the people of New York." 

Pagels said, "The governor's new stadium won't be a product of progress, it will be a monument to Albany's vindictive desire to push the Seneca people. Ultimately, it's something we're all to familiar with."

This is the latest move in the long-standing dispute between the two sides over hundreds of millions of dollars in casino revenue. The current gaming compact went into effect in December 2002.

2 On Your Side reached out to the Governor's office for a response. They issued a statement, saying: 

"Governor Hochul has worked to resolve this issue amicably since the beginning of her administration and receive the funds the State and local governments are owed. The courts have consistently ruled in the State's favor, and the State has negotiated in good faith and met every hurdle. Time and again, the Nation failed to fulfill their court-ordered obligations. After the Nation once again failed to make payments under the terms of an amicable agreement, the State had to take action, and we are pleased to have finally secured these long-overdue funds for Western New York communities."

You can watch President Pagels full statement here:

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