Big 6 Casinos

Texas Tribe Sues Abramoff, Reed

A Texas Indian tribe has filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday against ex-lobbyist Jack Abramoff, former Christian Coalition leader Ralph Reed and their associates. The lawsuit claims the group was engaged in fraud and racketeering to shut down the tribe's casino.

The Alabama-Coushatta tribe of Livingston, Texas, accused the characters of mobilizing Christian religious groups fraudulently. They allege that the campaign against their casino would not have been as passionate had the groups known that they were being financed by a rival casino. Their casino operated for only nine months and was shut down in 2002.

"They made it appear as if they were operating on behalf of religious groups, but in fact they were operating on behalf of the Louisiana-Coushatta," Attorney Fred Petti said.

"Ultimately, the defendants' greed and corruption led to the Alabama-Coushatta tribe permanently shutting its casino. The funding for economic programs evaporated, over 300 jobs were lost in Polk County and the Alabama-Coushatta tribe has spent years struggling to recover and revitalize its economy through other means," the tribe said in its lawsuit.

The lawsuit also names Abramoff's ex-business partner Michael Scanlon, a former aide to Tom DeLay, R-Texas; Neil Volz, a former aide to Rep. Bob Ney (news, bio, voting record), R-Ohio; and Jon Van Horne, Abramoff's former colleague at his law and lobbying firm, Greenberg Traurig.