Published on: December 11, 2025, 02:05h.
Updated on: December 11, 2025, 02:05h.
- Former Centaur and Spectacle executive John Keeler requests clemency from Trump.
- He admitted guilt for filing a false tax return linked to political donations.
- Indiana regulators connected the funding scheme to Spectacle’s initiatives and Rod Ratcliff.
A former Indiana gaming executive, who served two months in prison for tax-related offenses involving undisclosed political donations, is pursuing a presidential pardon from Donald Trump, as reported by The IndyStar.
The name “John Scott Keeler” is listed on the US Justice Department’s clemency registry, with an application marked as “pending,” submitted earlier this year. No other individuals with that name are currently documented in federal correctional facilities or legal proceedings, indicating this is likely the same John S. Keeler who held roles at Centaur Gaming and later at Spectacle Entertainment.
Concealed Payments
In 2022, Keeler, a former legislator, pled guilty to submitting a false tax return tied to a scheme that funneled $41,000 of Centaur Gaming’s finances to a consultant involved in then-State Senator Brent Waltz’s (R) unsuccessful 2016 congressional campaign.
He subsequently directed the consultant to forward $25,000 to the Greater Indianapolis Republican Finance Committee.
This payment was inaccurately recorded as a deductible business expense on Centaur Gaming’s tax filings that year. Federal regulations prohibit corporate contributions straight to federal election campaigns.
Waltz later admitted guilt to two felony charges regarding conduit contributions and providing false information to the FBI. He received a sentence of 10 months in prison. Following his sentencing, he stated to IndyStar that he was an unintended casualty in the FBI’s efforts to “target Trump’s political operations.”
A Spectacle to Remember
Centaur Gaming previously owned two racinos in Indiana: Hoosier Park Racing & Casino in Anderson (now Harrah’s Hoosier Park) and Indiana Grand Racing & Casino in Shelbyville (now Horseshoe Indianapolis).
After being acquired by Caesars Entertainment in 2018, Centaur’s CEO, Rod Ratcliff, transitioned to establish Spectacle Entertainment, taking several key executives, including Keeler, along with him.
Spectacle then acquired the Majestic Star Casino, which operated as dual riverboat casinos, each with individual gaming licenses.
Following the acquisition, Spectacle swiftly petitioned to relocate these licenses to facilitate the development of two land-based establishments – one in partnership with Hard Rock in Gary, and another intended for Terre Haute.
Challenges Ahead
However, just weeks after breaking ground on the Hard Rock project, the Indiana Gaming Commission publicly stated it was investigating allegations of former Centaur and current Spectacle executives’ involvement in directing illicit political contributions, causing delays in casino license approvals.
Keeler and Ratcliff were eventually dismissed from the company, resulting in a restructuring that positioned Spectacle as a minority stakeholder in what became Hard Rock Northern Indiana.
The state gaming commission suggested that Spectacle Chairman Rod Ratcliff played a role in the funding scheme, referencing internal correspondence and his calendar revealing a meeting with the political consultant who facilitated the contributions.
In November 2023, Republican state representative Sean Ebhart pleaded guilty to a federal conspiracy charge involving honest services fraud after admitting to accepting financial compensation and the promise of future employment from Spectacle, guaranteeing $350,000 per year.
In exchange, he endorsed and voted for a 2019 bill that permitted the relocation of the two gaming licenses.
While Ratcliff, a notable Republican fundraiser and early Trump supporter, has yet to face charges, his political alignment with a president known for granting pardons to donors and supporters may influence Keeler’s prospects for clemency.