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Politics
Ralph Reed hired by Abramoff for yet another venture


Ralph Reed, who claims to oppose all forms of gambling, took money from disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff to work on behalf of a gaming company, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

In 2000, Reed worked as a subcontractor for Abramoff to defeat a bill that would have banned Internet gambling. Reed claims he never knew the money was coming from eLottery Inc., a gaming company that hired Abramoff. The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, another Abramoff client, also opposed the bill.

Reed's involvement has not been previously disclosed and came as a surprise to some. When Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Virginia) first introduced a version of the bill in 1997, he said Reed -- who was the director of the conservative Christian Coalition at the time -- supported it. "We were not aware that Reed was working against our bill," a spokesperson for Goodlatte told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

This isn't the first time Reed worked on behalf of gaming interests. He fought an expansion of gaming in Alabama and tribal casinos in Texas using gaming money.

Get the Story:
Reed fought ban on betting (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution 10/2)
pwday

Relevant Links:
Century Strategies - http://www.censtrat.com

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