276:. Abramoff used Sheldon to target 10 Republican House members in vulnerable districts, using Sheldon to carry out a media campaign and Reed to carry out a direct-mail campaign accusing the members of being 'soft on gambling' if they supported the bill. In a fax to eLottery on August 18, Abramoff wrote, "please get me a check as soon as possible for $ 150,000 made payable to American Marketing Inc. This is the company Ralph is using."
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group started by Reed. The check was received by Robin
Vanderwall, then Director of Faith and Family Alliance, who claimed Reed called him and directed him to write a check for an equal amount to Century Strategies, Reed's political consultancy. "I was running a shell", Vanderwall later claimed. "I
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Due to the campaigns manufactured by Reed and
Sheldon, the targeted members reported to DeLay's office that they were being pressured by constituents to vote against the bill. Tony Rudy used his position as Chief of Staff to exaggerate these concerns in reports to Tom DeLay. DeLay eventually
211:. In numerous emails, Rudy delivered inside information on the status of discussions of IGPA within the House Republican Caucus, and suggested strategies to defeat it. DeLay was normally a staunch opponent of gambling, but had not taken a position on the bill.
131:. Reed and Sheldon later claimed that they did not know that they were effectively doing this work on behalf of a gambling corporation. These claims contradict email exchanges between Abramoff and Reed which discuss eLottery and its
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employee, not
Abramoff. Tony Rudy had also aided Abramoff in lobbying Tom DeLay on a postal-rate increase opposed by the magazine publishers. The FBI interviewed Toward Tradition in 2005 regarding this apparent money laundering.
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convinced other members of the House
Republican leadership that passing the bill could cost the Republican caucus 4 seats, at which point the other leaders agreed not to put the bill to a vote in that session of Congress.
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to oppose the legislation. Although Reed was a former director of the
Christian Coalition which now supported the bill, Abramoff suggested a strategy for opposing the bill on the basis of exceptions in the bill for
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DeLay voted against IGPA, and used his powers as
Majority Whip to place the bill on the suspension calendar, a House procedural maneuver which bans amendments and limits debate. The bill's sponsor,
175:"I have 3 checks from elot: (1) 2 checks for $ 80K payable to ATR and (2) 1 check to TVC for $ 25K," wrote Ralston, "Let me know exactly what to do next. Send to Grover? Send to Rev. Lou?"
287:. Toward Tradition later employed Tony Rudy's wife, Lisa Rudy for work allegedly related to an Interfaith conference to be held in September 2000. Lapin claimed that Lisa Rudy's company,
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Toward
Tradition also received $ 25,000 in funding from Abramoff's client Magazine Publishers of America. According to the MPA, this donation was given at the direction of another
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agreement that he was hired by
Shandwick to obtain the letter, but created a forgery when he failed to get a real one. Shandwick denied any complicity in the forgery.
272:, immediately demanded that the House leadership revive the bill. Abramoff realized that he would not be able to muster support to reject the bill in an ordinary
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Abramoff directed his client, eLottery, to direct $ 25,000 in payments to
Sheldon's Traditional Values Coalition, and also checks totalling $ 160,000 to
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to lobby Jeb Bush and other leaders for letters showing opposition to IGPA. Months later, a
Florida man, Matthew Blair, told authorities in a
188:. Abramoff then directed Norquist to receive his checks and write another check for $ 150,000 to Faith and Family Alliance, a Delaware-based
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363:"How a Lobbyist Stacked the DeckHow a Lobbyist Stacked the Deck—Abramoff Used DeLay Aide, Attacks On Allies to Defeat Anti-Gambling Bill"
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106:-based firm, intended to sell state lottery tickets online, and this business venture was threatened by the IGPA. Abramoff recruited
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This article is about a 1999 bill and Jack Abramoff's role in its defeat. For the bill passed into law in 2006, see
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218:. On July 13, 2000, Sheldon met privately with DeLay. DeLay later announced his opposition to the bill.
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232:. The letter caused confusion amongst the Republican Caucus, but was later shown to be a forgery.
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59:. Passage of the bill was defeated, in large part, by the lobbying efforts of
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Reverend Sheldon worked publicly to oppose the bill, holding numerous
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required by the suspension calendar, and was rejected on July 18.
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Abramoff also directed eLottery to write a check for $ 25,000 to
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102:, to represent their effort to block the bill. ELottery, an
339:"H.R.3125 - Internet Gambling Prohibition Act of 2000"
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Susan Schmidt; James V. Grimaldi (October 16, 2005).
406:"Abramoff used area foundation as conduit for money"
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321:"S.692 - Internet Gambling Prohibition Act of 1999"
142:helped Jack Abramoff pass checks from eLottery to
29:Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006
254:(R-VA) agreed, as he expected the bill to pass.
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221:While the bill was under consideration in the
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345:. U.S. Library of Congress. October 21, 1999.
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404:David Postman and Hal Bernton (2006-01-09).
327:. U.S. Library of Congress. March 23, 1999.
193:regret having had anything to do with it."
667:Casino Jack and the United States of Money
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264:The bill's original supporters, such as
87:of this legislation was attached to the
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390:. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
196:Abramoff was working closely with
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36:Internet Gambling Prohibition Act
382:Galloway, Jim (March 13, 2006).
170:'s company, Century Strategies
388:The American Policy Roundtable
384:"E-mails Undermine Reed Claim"
94:In 1999, eLottery, inc. hired
38:(IGPA) was a 1999 bill in the
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56:Internet Gambling information
257:The bill failed to meet the
148:Traditional Values Coalition
120:Traditional Values Coalition
63:. The bill was supported by
514:Pleaded guilty or convicted
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423:"Ralph Reed's Other Cheek"
235:Abramoff's firm had hired
51:"Internet Gambling update"
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135:, eLot in 2000 and 2001.
100:Preston Gates & Ellis
186:Americans for Tax Reform
160:Americans for Tax Reform
91:and became law in 2006.
490:Marianas/Saipan scandal
480:Indian lobbying scandal
773:Jack Abramoff scandals
466:Jack Abramoff scandals
65:Christian conservative
730:Related organizations
621:Named but not charged
473:Events and scandals
368:The Washington Post
270:Focus on the Family
259:two-thirds majority
237:Shandwick Worldwide
112:College Republicans
77:Christian Coalition
69:Focus on the Family
745:Timeline of events
500:Monetary influence
485:Guam investigation
289:Liberty Consulting
190:political advocacy
98:'s lobbying firm,
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216:press conferences
114:cohort, and Rev.
44:Internet gambling
16:(Redirected from
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714:Lou Sheldon
660:Casino Jack
561:James Hirni
239:, based in
144:Lou Sheldon
85:new version
709:Ralph Reed
689:Gus Boulis
638:Tom Feeney
628:Ed Buckham
566:Adam Kidan
307:References
168:Ralph Reed
108:Ralph Reed
75:, and the
633:Tom DeLay
576:Tony Rudy
205:Tom DeLay
198:Tony Rudy
40:US Senate
767:Category
751:Category
230:Jeb Bush
129:jai-alai
104:Internet
571:Bob Ney
200:, then
118:of the
42:to ban
677:Others
110:, his
723:Lists
652:Films
223:House
127:and
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