A US consultant at the centre of a row over OBA campaign donations was never awarded a contract by Bermuda Tourism Authority, its chairman emphasised yesterday.

David Dodwell said Derrick Green had never been a consultant to the authority.

According to Mr Dodwell, Mr Green was employed by Bermuda advertising and design firm, Cosmic, that was recruited to do some campaign work before the BTA took over from the Government-run former Department of Tourism. Cosmic and the BTA entered into an agreement in January this year to produce an education programme about casino gaming, in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism Development and Transport.

Mr Dodwell said the scope of this agreement was for six weeks and focused on giving Bermudians facts about the economic impact of gaming, allowing Bermudians to have a voice in how gaming should be structured, and making the public aware of the benefits.

He added: “The cost for these services as quoted by Cosmic was for $80,000. These expenses had been previously budgeted and approved by the management committee overseeing the transition between the former Bermuda Department of Tourism and the new BTA.

“The BTA was not officially in existence at the time of the contract execution and BTA management staff was not involved in hiring Cosmic.

“Derrick Green was never awarded any contract by the BTA and Mr Green was not, and is not, a consultant to the BTA. Mr Green was employed by Cosmic and BTA had no role in his employment agreement with Cosmic.”

Mr Green was a consultant to the former Bermuda Democratic Alliance, which merged with the United Bermuda Party in 2011 to form the One Bermuda Alliance.

Mr Green played a key role in the OBA’s successful 2012 general election campaign and was one of the signatories on the controversial OBA-linked Bermuda Political Action Club, which was set up with $350,000 in donations from American tycoon Nathan Landow and US business associates.

The existence of the money — said to be used for a campaign to mobilise voters — was not know to party chiefs until 18 months later, prompting an inquiry.