Ralph Reed Next?

Woohoo!

Three watchdog groups asked Thursday for an investigation of former Christian Coalition director Ralph Reed, who worked with lobbyist Jack Abramoff to press state officials to shut down two Texas tribal casinos.

Texans for Public Justice, Common Cause of Texas and Public Citizen filed their complaint with Travis County Attorney David Escamilla.

They said Reed failed to register as a Texas lobbyist in 2001 and 2002, when he received a reported $4.2 million from Abramoff and his partner Michael Scanlon to push for the closure of casinos operated by the Tigua tribe of El Paso and the Alabama-Coushatta tribe of Livingston in East Texas.

"If he was crossing the border and crossing the legal line, Texans need to know about it and hold him accountable," said Craig McDonald, director of Texans for Public Justice. "It appears he was part of the scheme to bilk millions of dollars from Indian tribes."

McDonald said failing to register is a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail and a $4,000 fine.

...

The U.S. Senate Indian Affairs Committee has been investigating Abramoff and Scanlon. In e-mails released by the committee, Reed discussed his efforts against the casinos. Investigators have alleged that Abramoff and Scanlon defrauded their tribal clients of some $80 million.

Last week, Scanlon pleaded guilty to conspiring to bribe public officials to assist clients. As part of his plea agreement, he'll pay $19 million to tribes he admitted to defrauding and is cooperating with investigators.

Abramoff and Scanlon were hired by the Louisiana Coushatta tribe in 2001 and worked to prevent the Alabama-Coushatta and another Louisiana tribe from opening competing casinos.

Reed rallied the religious community against the casinos and met with state lawmakers to kill a bill that would reopen the Tiguas casino, according to his e-mails.

After the Tigua and Alabama-Coushatta's casinos shut down, Abramoff and Scanlon persuaded the Tiguas to hire them to lobby Congress to change federal law so they could reopen their casino. They also tried to press the Alabama-Coushatta tribe to hire them.

Having lived for a while in Atlanta, I hope Georgia is smart enough NOT to elect this guy, but, indictments or no, I'm not holding my breath. I mean... they de-elected Max Cleland, so there's not much hope for rationality.