Politics
Tigua Tribe outraged over being played as 'moronic'


Leaders of the Tigua Tribe of Texas say they are upset that to Washington, D.C., lobbyists they hired were also working against their interests.

The tribe gave $4.2 million to lobbyist Jack Abramoff and political consultant Michael Scanlon in hopes of reopening the tribe's casino. A federal judge ordered the facility to be closed at the request of the state.

What tribal leaders did not know was that Abramoff and Scanlon were working with Christian conservative Ralph Reed to lobby for the casino's closure. Abramoff and Scanlon have played up their ties to House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, a Republican from Texas.

In an e-mail, Abramoff called the Tiguas "moronic" for their campaign contributions.

Get the Story:
Tiguas outraged that D.C. insiders worked both sides of casino's closure (The El Paso Times 9/28)
Senate Panel to Query Lobbyists on Casino Ties (NPR 9/27)

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