Two Washington insiders who were hired by the Tigua Tribe of Texas to keep the tribe's casino open were also working behind the scenes to shut it down.

Lobbyist Jack Abramoff and public relations consultant Michael Scanlon convinced the tribe to pay $4.2 million for a campaign to support the casino. At the same time, they were working with Christian GOP activist Ralph Reed and another tribe to keep the Tiguas out of business.

"On this one, we are totally in bed with the anti-gambling guys," Abramoff said in an e-mail shortly after the Tigua Tribe brought him and Scanlon on board in February 2002.

The e-mail was sent to an undisclosed recipient and the name of the tribe Abramoff was working with was blacked out. But press reports said the Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana and the Mississippi Band of Choctaws hired Abramoff and Scanlon to oppose gaming efforts by other tribes.

Get the Story:
Double-dealing cost Tiguas casino, $4.2 million (The El Paso Times 11/28)
Casino's future tied to voting reform bill (The El Paso Times 11/28)
Insiders' e-mails critique party allies (The El Paso Times 11/28)

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