This certainly doesn’t come as a surprise given the relationship between Ellen Degeneres and the hotel and casino industry.  However, the Daily Mail is confirming the parent company of Mandalay Bay, MGM Inc., controlled the one-and-only media appearance during a well scripted presentation of Jesus “Jose” Campos for television yesterday.

(Via Daily Mail) Mandalay Bay shooting hero Jesus Campos was pressured into giving his only interview to Ellen DeGeneres because the giant company that owns the Las Vegas casino feared he would spill the beans about the shooting timeline if he was grilled by real journalists, DailyMail.com has learned exclusively.
MGM is worried that families of the 58 people murdered as well as many of the 546 injured in the Mandalay Bay massacre will launch lawsuits potentially worth billions of dollars against the company, sources tell DailyMail.com.

And they thought Campos might not keep his story straight under the pressure of the TV lights and tough questioning.
That is why Campos, 25, appeared on a daytime chat show hosted by a fast-talking, dancing comedienne, rather than take questions from TV hardhitters such as Fox News’ Sean Hannity, NBC News or ABC News.
‘MGM was behind the decision to call off all the interviews and did a deal with Ellen, knowing she would not play hardball on the timeline as long as she had the exclusive,’ a TV insider told DailyMail.com. (read more)

STAKEHOLDERS: Las Vegas, almost entirely dependent on tourism, needs to present an image of safety and security. Las Vegas Metropolitan Police need to present an image of competency and security control. Mandalay Bay, the MGM corporation and the larger hotel and casino industry, need to reduce any culpability and liability; as well as portray their action as prudent and secure before the attack, and competent in the aftermath. Federal crisis management with direct influence over investigative authorities (FBI and DHS) need to portray an impression of national security and control.
Ellen Degeneres, an insider within the entertainment industry, and a stakeholder in the outcome, was simply a friendly venue to control this exclusive interview.
Las Vegas investigative authorities (LVMPD and FBI) have stated they will provide no additional press conferences or information on the worst mass shooting in U.S. history.

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