Ralph Reed

Ralph Reed, Republican activist, former executive director of the Christian Coalition, and current candidate for lieutenant governor of Georgia, was a protégé and associate of Jack Abramoff’s for over twenty years. The Baltimore Sun called Abramoff “one of Reed’s closest friends and mentors.” Paul West, Ralph Reed plots a new course, Baltimore Sun, March 24, 2005. Abramoff began mentoring Reed in the early 80s when Abramoff was running the College Republicans, with which Reed had an internship. Karen Tumulty, The man who bought Washington, TIME, January 16, 2006.

Reed and his firm, Century Strategies, received over $5 million dollars in fees from Abramoff for grassroots efforts in two anti-gambling campaigns – one in Texas and one in Alabama. Jim Galloway, Indians gave money; But candidate insists casinos not the source, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, May 20, 2005. In both cases, Abramoff directed his casino-operating tribal clients, which were seeking to squash competition, to pay for Reed’s anti-gambling campaigns.

In one of these campaigns, Reed fought against legalization of a state lottery and video poker games in Alabama using $850,000 provided by the Choctaw tribe of neighboring Mississippi. Galloway, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, May 20, 2005. In another, various “rival tribes with casinos of their own” contributed $4.2 million to assist Reed in closing down the Tigua tribe’s Speaking Rock casino in El Paso, TX. Alan Judd & Jim Galloway, Casino fed Reed’s Bama fight, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, May 18, 2005. Once the casino was shut down, the Tigua hired Abramoff for $4 million to lobby Congress for legislation to reopen it. Ken Foskett, Anti-gaming funds tribe gave Reed hard to trail, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, May 31, 2005.
Reed was also involved in fighting the Louisiana Jena Band of Choctaws’ efforts to open a casino, a fight Abramoff bankrolled using funds from the Louisiana Coushatta tribe, which didn’t want the Jena to open a competing casino. Gerard Shields, Jena casino matter ensnaring Vitter, The Advocate (LA), March 27, 2005.

Reed initially claimed not to know that the money he received came from gambling interests, but emails obtained by the Senate Indian Affairs Committee investigation of Abramoff’s activities reveal that Reed not only knew that the money came from Indian casinos, he helped create the scheme to launder money through Grover Norquist’s Americans for Tax Reform in order to hide the source of the funds. Jim Galloway, Nonprofits used to funnel tribal money, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, June 23, 2005. Although the Senate Indian Affairs Committee subpoenaed documents from Century Strategies, Reed was not called to testify. John Bresnahan & Paul Kane, Reed, Norquist Groups subpoenaed in probe, Roll Call, April 21, 2005.

In addition to using gambling funds to fight competing gambling interests, Abramoff had the Mississippi Choctaw contribute $10,000 to Reed’s successful 2001 bid for Chairman of the Georgia Republican Party. Galloway, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Jun. 23, 2005. In an April 12, 2001 email, Abramoff wrote, “When you give Scanlon the $150K from Choctaw, tell him that part of the ‘$30K’ is to be a $10K check to this committee, which should then be federal expressed by you: Reed for Chairman, Suite 575, 3235 Satellite Blvd., Duluth, GA 30096.” Bill Sizemore, Ralph Reed’s Questionable Coalition, The Virginian-Pilot, February 12, 2006.

Source: http://www.jackinthehouse.org/characters/details.php?view=22