Ralph Reed, the conservative Republican activist who is running for lieutenant governor of Georgia, is blaming tribes for his secret payment arrangement with convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
Reed was paid more than $5.2 million by the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians and the Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana. The money was funneled through different organizations to mask the fact that it came from gaming tribes.
Tribal officials told the Senate Indian Affairs Committee that Reed, an avowed opponent of gaming, didn't want to be associated with gaming. But in a debate this past weekend, Reed said it was the tribes who wanted to hide their involvement.
"I would have been happy if they paid me directly. They were the ones who made the decision that I would be paid through nonprofits," Reed said.
State Sen. Casey Cagle has hammered Reed for the Abramoff links. He is hoping the scandal will prompt Republican voters to vote for him in today's Republican primary.
Get the Story:Reed Hopes Voters Keep Faith, Forget Abramoff (The Los Angeles Times 7/18)
pwday
Cagle, Reed trade blows in final TV slugfest (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution 7/17)
pwpwd Senate Indian Affairs Committee Abramoff Report:
�GIMME FIVE�� INVESTIGATION OF TRIBAL LOBBYING MATTERS (June 2006) Exhibits:
Pre-2001 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | Undated | Finance Misisssippi Choctaw/DOI Letters:
Chief Martin/Jim Cason Correspondence Relevant Links:
Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians - http://www.choctaw.org
Read About Reed - http://www.readaboutreed.com
Stop Ralph Reed - http://www.stopralphreed.com
Ralph Reed - http://www.ralphreed.com
Century Strategies - http://www.censtrat.com Related Stories:
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