Texas takes lead in Reed sleaze prosecution
Texas groups call for Reed inquiry
By JIM GALLOWAY, LAYLAN COPELIN
Published on: 12/02/05
AUSTIN, Texas — Three government watchdog groups on Thursday called for a local prosecutor to investigate Ralph Reed, for failing to register as a lobbyist while he was paid millions of dollars to influence gambling issues in the state.
Reed, a political strategist and former head of the Christian Coalition, is a Republican candidate for Georgia lieutenant governor.
The complaint, filed by Common Cause Texas, Public Citizen and Texans for Public Justice, is based on e-mails and other documents that have surfaced during federal investigations into former Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
From 1999 to 2002, Abramoff hired Reed to combat gambling initiatives in Texas and other states on behalf of Indian tribes out to protect their casino markets.
David Escamilla, a Texas prosecutor and Democrat, said he will decide whether to initiate a formal investigation this month.
Jared Thomas, a spokesman for Reed, labeled the charges "a specious complaint that has more to do with politics than the facts."
Federal investigators in Washington are probing whether Abramoff and his partner, Michael Scanlon, defrauded six Indian tribes clients of millions of dollars, and whether the pair conspired to bribe public officials.
Scanlon pleaded guilty last month. A Justice Department inquiry is continuing into Abramoff and his relationship with some Congress members.
The complaint against Reed accuses him of violating Texas lobbying laws, a misdemeanor punishable with a fine of up to $4,000 and up to one year in jail.
Under Texas law, a person must register if he is paid to directly communicate with state officials, lawmakers or staffers to influence legislation or encourage an administrative action by an agency.
Reed was paid more than $4 million for his efforts in Louisiana and Texas, according to documents, and more than $1 million in Alabama.
"Mr. Reed's own correspondence appears to indict him," said Suzy Woodford, director of Common Cause Texas. "At a minimum Mr. Reed should return to Texas to disclose all communications that he had with state officials and to explain why he was not required to register like other lobbyists."
The complaint contends Abramoff and his firm hired Reed in 2001 to lobby Texas officials to shut down the Tigua tribe's casino near El Paso and to defeat legislation to that would permit another Indian tribe to open a casino near Houston.
Though Reed has said he didn't know the source of the cash, his bills in Texas were paid by the Louisiana Coushatta tribe, which wanted to protect its casino.
Thomas, Reed's campaign manager, said Reed was hired "to contact grass-roots citizens in Texas and encourage them" to oppose gambling in the state.
"We were not retained to lobby Texas public officials," Thomas said.
Crucial to any inquiry would be whether Reed directly communicated with state officials.
The statement from Reed's campaign did not address instances in which Reed, in e-mails to Abramoff, mentioned his contacts with the office of then-Texas Attorney General John Cornyn, or Lt. Gov. Bill Ratliff.
• Jim Galloway reported from Atlanta. Laylan Copelin, of the Austin American-Statesman, reported from Austin.
By JIM GALLOWAY, LAYLAN COPELIN
Published on: 12/02/05
AUSTIN, Texas — Three government watchdog groups on Thursday called for a local prosecutor to investigate Ralph Reed, for failing to register as a lobbyist while he was paid millions of dollars to influence gambling issues in the state.
Reed, a political strategist and former head of the Christian Coalition, is a Republican candidate for Georgia lieutenant governor.
The complaint, filed by Common Cause Texas, Public Citizen and Texans for Public Justice, is based on e-mails and other documents that have surfaced during federal investigations into former Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
From 1999 to 2002, Abramoff hired Reed to combat gambling initiatives in Texas and other states on behalf of Indian tribes out to protect their casino markets.
David Escamilla, a Texas prosecutor and Democrat, said he will decide whether to initiate a formal investigation this month.
Jared Thomas, a spokesman for Reed, labeled the charges "a specious complaint that has more to do with politics than the facts."
Federal investigators in Washington are probing whether Abramoff and his partner, Michael Scanlon, defrauded six Indian tribes clients of millions of dollars, and whether the pair conspired to bribe public officials.
Scanlon pleaded guilty last month. A Justice Department inquiry is continuing into Abramoff and his relationship with some Congress members.
The complaint against Reed accuses him of violating Texas lobbying laws, a misdemeanor punishable with a fine of up to $4,000 and up to one year in jail.
Under Texas law, a person must register if he is paid to directly communicate with state officials, lawmakers or staffers to influence legislation or encourage an administrative action by an agency.
Reed was paid more than $4 million for his efforts in Louisiana and Texas, according to documents, and more than $1 million in Alabama.
"Mr. Reed's own correspondence appears to indict him," said Suzy Woodford, director of Common Cause Texas. "At a minimum Mr. Reed should return to Texas to disclose all communications that he had with state officials and to explain why he was not required to register like other lobbyists."
The complaint contends Abramoff and his firm hired Reed in 2001 to lobby Texas officials to shut down the Tigua tribe's casino near El Paso and to defeat legislation to that would permit another Indian tribe to open a casino near Houston.
Though Reed has said he didn't know the source of the cash, his bills in Texas were paid by the Louisiana Coushatta tribe, which wanted to protect its casino.
Thomas, Reed's campaign manager, said Reed was hired "to contact grass-roots citizens in Texas and encourage them" to oppose gambling in the state.
"We were not retained to lobby Texas public officials," Thomas said.
Crucial to any inquiry would be whether Reed directly communicated with state officials.
The statement from Reed's campaign did not address instances in which Reed, in e-mails to Abramoff, mentioned his contacts with the office of then-Texas Attorney General John Cornyn, or Lt. Gov. Bill Ratliff.
• Jim Galloway reported from Atlanta. Laylan Copelin, of the Austin American-Statesman, reported from Austin.
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