Robert Mulcahy, the former head of the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, has taken a shot at past state leaders, saying that their meddling has helped bring the world's best harness racing industry to its knees

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Mulcahy's comments came via an article by Bob Jordan on the website of the Daily Record this past weekend. Mulcahy's comments came during a New Jersey Gaming Forum, which took place at Rutgers’ Newark Campus on Thursday, March 31.

"We created a harness (racing) industry that was the best in the world. And what happened? Leaders came in, in the middle of the 2000s, and decided they wanted to take (the sports authority) apart," Mulcahy was quoted as saying. "At that time, the political leadership didn't understand what (authority projects) meant to the state. I say that with all due respect to (former New Jersey) Gov. (James E.) McGreevey, who sent his people up there to tear it apart unfortunately. Think of what happens when you lose your vision and what you want to get done."

The article explains that the former governor could not be reached for comment, but that in his autobiography he stated that people that had contributed to his campaign looked to have some say in the NJSEA and other state agencies.

"People weren't shy about saying what they expected for their 'investments' — board appointments to the (sports authority) or the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, for example, which were coveted not just for their prestige but because they offered control over tremendously potent economic engines, with discretionary budgets in the tens of millions," McGreevey wrote.

(With files from the Daily Record)