Ralph Reed and Jack AbramoffOnly the most addicted of Texas political junkies probably knows who Jack Abramoff is but a group of self-style “public watchdog” groups are seeking to change that. Three groups including Ralph Nader’s Public Citizen, Common Cause of Texas and Texans for Public Justice today released a letter to Travis County Attorney David Escamilla asking that he investigate whether one Ralph Reed violated Texas law by failing to register as a lobbyist while acting on behalf of Abramoff.

So who is Abramoff? Or for that matter Ralph Reed? Abramoff was once the highest paid lobbyist in Washington and Republican operative who is currently has a two-count felony indictment against him and who was recently implicated in the murder of a Florida man by his business partner Jack Kidan. He is a man former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay once called “one of my closest friends.” Who is Ralph Reed? He is the former head of the Christian Coalition, former chairman of the Georgia Republican Party and currently a candidate for Lieutenant Governor of Georgia.

According to the three watchdogs Reed was hired by Abramoff to lobby the Texas Legislature to shut down the Tigua Indian Tribes Speaking Rock Casino. The ultimate client was Abramoff’s client the Louisiana Coushhatta Indian tribe. The letter asserts that there is ample documentation of Reed’s lobbying in Texas. The letter provides email and other documentation indicating that Abramoff paid Reed over $3 million to lobby the issue. It also indicates that Abramoff felt Reed was unsuccessful because the Tigua Tribe had given $20,000 to Gov. Rick Perry.

Comments (0)

Comment	smaller | bigger
Name
Write the displayed characters
Subscribe via email (Registered users only) I have read and agree to the Terms of Usage.
	Add Comment