Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: tejek who wrote (716271)	12/2/2005 9:14:39 AM
From: DuckTapeSunroof	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 769670

Ethics Complaint on Ralph Reed By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS December 2, 2005 nytimes.com AUSTIN, Tex., Dec. 1 (AP) - Three Texas watchdog groups asked a county official here Thursday to investigate Ralph Reed, former executive director of the Christian Coalition, who worked with the lobbyist Jack Abramoff to press state officials to shut down two Texas tribal casinos that were rivals of Abramoff clients. The groups - Texans for Public Justice, Common Cause of Texas, and Public Citizen - filed their complaint with David Escamilla, the Travis County attorney. The groups said Mr. Reed failed to register as a Texas lobbyist in 2001 and 2002, when he received more than $4 million from Mr. Abramoff and his partner Michael Scanlon. The Abramoff-Scanlon team was then pushing for a shutdown of casinos operated by the Tigua tribe of El Paso and the Alabama-Coushatta tribe of Livingston in East Texas. The casinos were ultimately closed. The State Ethics Commission requires registration by anyone who receives lobbying compensation of more than $1,000 in a calendar quarter. Lisa Baron, a spokeswoman for Mr. Reed, called the complaint "specious." She said his consulting company, Century Strategies, had been hired by a major law firm to urge Texans to oppose gambling. "We were not hired to lobby Texas public officials," Ms. Baron said. * Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company