"Until recently, the office of Ralph Reed, Republican candidate for lieutenant governor, issued a standard prepared denial whenever the press inquired about allegations that Reed had knowingly accepted millions of dollars from Indian tribes with gambling interests.
The statement began by acknowledging Reed's work with Greenberg Traurig, a Washington law firm that turned out to be representing Indian casinos. However, the statement went on to claim that "we had no direct knowledge of [Greenberg Traurig's] clients or interests. At no time were we retained by nor did we represent any casino or casino company."
That wasn't true.
E-mails released Wednesday by a Senate committee directly contradict Reed's claim of having 'no direct knowledge of their clients or interests.' They demonstrate that Reed clearly knew the money was coming from the Choctaw tribe of Mississippi, which ran a lucrative gambling operation and was trying to bar other tribes from opening competing casinos.
"Ralph, I spoke with our managing partner and he has approved the subcontractor arrangement . . ," says a 1999 e-mail from Jack Abramoff, a longtime Reed friend and a lawyer with Greenberg Traurig. "So, it would be very helpful if you could get me invoices as soon as possible so I can get Choctaw to get us checks asap."
Reed received, read and responded to that e-mail. Three hours later, he sent an e-mail to Abramoff listing $101,000 in expenses that he incurred on behalf of the Choctaws."
Get the Story:
Editorial: Reed's bill of goods
(The Atlanta Journal Constitution 6/24)
pwday
Committee Exhibits:
Part 1 | Part 2
Witness List/Testimony:
Oversight
Hearing Before the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs on the In Re Tribal
Lobbying Matters, Et Al (June 22, 2005)
Relevant Links:
Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians - http://www.choctaw.org
Century Strategies - http://www.censtrat.com
Related Stories:
Senate committee plans to
issue lobbying report (6/24)
Under
scrutiny, Choctaw tribe goes into hiding (6/24)
Mississippi Choctaws focus of Senate lobbying
hearing (6/23)
Column: Wasichus testify
on lobbying scandal (6/23)
Update on
Senate hearing into lobbying scandal (6/23)
Mississippi Choctaws at center of lobbying hearing
(6/22)
NIGA issues statement on
tribal lobbying scandal (6/22)
Reed's story on Tiguas doesn't match
Abramoff's (06/20)
Senate hearing to focus on Norquist and Reed
(6/9)
Ralph Reed played tribes against
each other (6/6)
Trail of gambling cash
leads to Republicans, even Bush (6/3)
Miss Choctaws say gaming cash not used to lobby
(5/31)
Column: Some questions Ralph Reed
needs to answer (5/23)
Ralph Reed
changes story on $1.15M tribal donation (5/20)
Editorial: Alabama Christians have lost credibility
(5/19)
Gaming money went straight to
Ralph Reed's pocket (5/18)
Editorials:
Christian activists have explaining to do (05/16)
GOP group funneled tribal money to anti-gamblers
(5/13)
Abramoff scandal an issue in
Georgia campaign (05/09)
Jack Abramoff
breaks silence on lobbying scandal (05/02)
Saginaw Chippewa Tribe gave $25K to GOP tax
group (04/25)
One GOP group won't give
records to McCain (04/22)
McCain
subpoenas GOP groups linked to Abramoff (04/21)
GOP critic of McCain received tribal donations
(11/08)
Ralph Reed paid $4.1M to oppose
tribes (10/26)
Christian Coalition still
after Poarch Creeks (10/19)
High-priced
lobbyist scam linked to lawmakers (11/18)
Tigua Tribe tells of lobbying horror story
(11/18)
Tigua Tribe mum on Washington
lobbyists (10/12)
Tigua Tribe outraged
over being played as 'moronic' (09/28)
Lobbyists worked for, against 'moronic' Tiguas
(09/27)
Group opposing Poarch Creeks tied to
tribal lobbyists (09/16)
Bush strategist
now knows source of tribal funds (09/01)
Bush strategist claims no knowledge of funds
(08/31)
Bush-GOP strategist admits taking
tribal money (08/30)
GOP strategist
denies secretly taking tribal money (07/15)
Tribal money secretly funneled to GOP
strategist (06/25)
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