Abramoff and Reed Formalize Tribal Money Laundering Subcontractor Scheme

On April 6, 1999, Jack Abramoff formalized a subcontractor arrangement with Ralph Reed and Preston Gates, involving the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. The scheme involved routing $1.3 million through intermediary organizations like Americans for Tax Reform to conceal payments to Reed’s Century Strategies for conducting anti-gaming grassroots campaigns. Reed used his Christian conservative network, including over 3,000 pastors and 90,000 religious conservative households, to conduct targeted political activities that benefited Abramoff’s tribal casino clients by preventing competitive gaming legislation.