Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin) lobbied the Bureau of Indian Affairs to make a decision on an off-reservation casino for the Menominee Nation.

Ryan told The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that he was neutral on the proposal to turn an old racetrack in his district into a tribal casino. But he called the BIA at the request of developer Dennis Troha, who later pleaded guilty to federal corruption charges.

"He stated that his constituents are in favor of the application," a BIA employee said of Ryan, the Journal Sentinel reported in March 2006.

Ryan's lobbying didn't work. The Bush administration ended up rejecting the casino in January 2009, just days before President Barack Obama took office.

The tribe sued and reached a settlement with the Obama administration. The BIA has since issued a final environmental impact statement for the casino in Kenosha.

Troha and his family members donated $58,102 to Ryan’s campaigns in years before he made the call, The Washington Post reported. But Ryan gave an equal amount to charity after Troha was charged.

Get the Story:
Paul Ryan donations from a now-convicted Wis. businessman could draw fire (The Washington Post 8/12)
Conservative Star’s Small-Town Roots (The New York Times 8/13)

Related Stories:
Spouse of Paul Ryan, Mitt Romney VP pick, has Indian ancestry (8/11)
Menominee Nation welcomes progress on off-reservation casino (06/29)