"In 1999, the Christian Coalition of Alabama helped defeat a proposed state lottery. The coalition is currently fighting a plan to open Indian casinos in Alabama.

Now we learn that a lobbying group called Americans for Tax Reform had given the coalition $850,000 to work against the casino plan. The anti-tax group is headed by Grover Norquist, a powerful player in Republican money circles.

It turns out that Norquist had no interest in discouraging casinos. To the contrary, he was working for a casino tribe in Mississippi. The Indians didn't want gambling emporia next door in Alabama to compete with theirs. They gave Norquist's group $1.15 million to stop them.

The Christian Coalition has strict rules against taking money from gambling interests. So Norquist in effect had passed the coalition 850,000 tainted dollars to protect his clients' casino profits. (Some now charge that coalition leaders were in on the scheme.)"

Get the Story:
Froma Harrop: Religious right played for patsies (The Providence Journal 6/12)
pwpwd

Related Stories:
Senate hearing to focus on Norquist and Reed (6/9)
Opinion: Abramoff and Norquist like 'cat burglars' (6/9)
Two tribes paid $50K to attend White House meeting (6/7)
Opinion: Indian 'conservatives' pay to meet Bush (6/7)
Opinion: Christians should return tribal donation (6/7)
Ex-Coushatta leader paid $25K for White House meet (6/6)
Abramoff supporter in running for Coushatta chair (5/30)
GOP Activist Grover Norquist: 'McCain hates me' (05/23)
Coushatta tribal member went on DeLay golf outing (05/06)
Coushatta Tribe sues Abramoff, Scanlon in state court (04/22)
Coushatta Tribe hires law firm linked to DeLay (03/18)
Coushatta Tribe sues ex-lobbyists for $32M (11/17)
Coushatta Tribe to sue lobbyists for $32M (10/4)
Coushattas used lobbyists to spy on tribes, critics (09/13)
Senate hearing on tribal lobbying probe set (8/26)
Coushatta member threatened over recall effort (08/09)
Coushatta Tribe's lobbying records subpoenaed (07/23)
GOP strategist denies secretly taking tribal money (7/15)
Tribal money secretly funneled to GOP strategist (06/25)
Busy Indian Affairs Committee hits snag on big issues (06/17)
Indian Affairs Committee activity this week (6/15)
Indian Country awaits outcome of lobbying probe (05/18)
Coushatta treasurer accuses NIGC of lax oversight (04/12)
Coushatta leaders used tribal money to pay lobbyists (4/8)
Coushatta Tribe paid $32M to lobbyist Jack Abramoff (4/6)
McCain begins investigation into high tribal fees (3/4)
McCain calls for investigation into tribal spending (2/27)
Four tribes spent $45M on lobbying and PR firms (2/23)