Former Christian Coalition Reed linked to a casino donation

Reed is linked to a casino donation
Christian body says step didn't violate policy
By Michael Kranish, Boston Globe Staff | July 6, 2005

WASHINGTON -- Ralph Reed, the Christian Coalition's former national director and a political candidate in Georgia, has acknowledged that he helped the coalition's Alabama chapter receive an $850,000 contribution from an Indian tribe that operates casinos in Mississippi -- funneled through a Washington interest group -- to fight gambling initiatives in neighboring Alabama, according to an internal coalition report.

An investigation by the Alabama Christian Coalition, however, concluded that the contribution it had received from the Choctaw Tribe of Mississippi had not violated its own ban on accepting money ''directly or indirectly" from organizations with ties to gambling, the report found.

But Reed's role has become part of a federal investigation into Jack Abramoff, an influential Washington lobbyist, and his relationship with other tribes who had paid him to represent them on Capitol Hill.

The Choctaw, apparently worried about possible competition, gave the money to Americans for Tax Reform, one of Washington's most influential interest groups. That group then sent the money to the Alabama Christian Coalition to fight the pro-gambling proposals in Alabama in 1999.

At the time, Reed assured the Alabama Christian Coalition that the money had not come from gambling, according to the coalition. Reed now says he regrets not informing the chapter about the source of the funds.

''On reflection, and in abundance of caution, I should have further explained that the contributions came from the Choctaw," Reed said in a letter dated June 29 that was posted on the coalition's website on Friday. ''This has caused difficulty for the Alabama Christian Coalition, an outstanding organization dedicated to stronger families, which I deeply regret."

Reed has said that the money had not come from the tribe's gambling interests, and thus that the move was consistent with his anti-gambling beliefs. But Reed's critics said the main point was that casino gambling is among the Choctaw's main sources of revenue.

Reed's acknowledgment has become an issue in his campaign for Georgia lieutenant governor, and the federal government is examining Abramoff's work on behalf of the Choctaw and other tribes to check allegations that he had cheated them.

The tribes, which had gambling interests, paid Abramoff millions of dollars in lobbying fees; Abramoff, in turn, hired Reed as a subcontractor. Reed's letter also focuses attention on the way Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform, runs his organization.

The Alabama Christian Coalition has a policy against accepting money, directly or indirectly, from gambling interests. In May, when The Boston Globe reported that the $850,000 donation had come from an Indian tribe with gambling interests, the coalition launched an investigation.

That inquiry, completed on June 29, includes Reed's acknowledgment that the money was received from the Choctaws. The internal report concluded that the Alabama Christian Coalition did not knowingly violate its policy, saying that the money came from the tribe's revenues outside of gambling.

James Bopp, the Alabama Christian Coalition lawyer who wrote the report, said he did not know why Reed had not come clean about the source of the money: ''You'll have to ask him," Bopp said. ''He obviously regrets it."

Reed declined to comment, but a spokeswoman, Lisa Baron, said Reed was pleased with Bopp's conclusion that the Choctaw money had come from revenues outside of gaming. But Reed has drawn some harsh criticism for taking the money from a tribe that runs casinos.

A former Alabama governor, Don Siegelman, who had advocated a lottery to improve education funding, ridiculed the Alabama Christian Coalition for clearing itself of violating its own policy. There were also legislative proposals for video poker and other forms of gambling at the time, all opposed by the Alabama Christian Coalition.

The internal report said the coalition's ban on gambling money ''does not prohibit the acceptance of non-gambling-derived money from groups who also have gambling income."

Siegelman said the branch of the Choctaw tribe that contributed the money made no difference. ''How can a lawyer say that [the coalition] didn't violate its own prohibition against taking money from gaming interests 'either directly or indirectly' when that is exactly what they did!" Siegelman wrote in an e-mail interview.

Johnston said he was ''shocked" that Reed had received money from the Choctaws. Citizens for Legalized Lottery no longer exists, and Johnston has not conducted an investigation of the source of the funds, although it appears to have also come from the Choctaws.

A spokeswoman for the Choctaw did not provide an immediate response.

Michael Kranish can be reached at [email protected].