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Ralph Reed Feels the Heat

Ralph Reed, former executive director of the Christian Coalition, is feeling the heat. He's running for Lt. Governor of Georgia, but his ties to Abramoff may be his undoing. The Washington Post Monday details Reed's problems.

But the first major dent in Reed's carefully cultivated image came with the disclosure in the summer of 2004 that his public relations and lobbying companies had received at least $4.2 million from Abramoff to mobilize Christian voters to fight Indian casinos competing with Abramoff's casino clients.

Similarly damaging has been a torrent of e-mails revealed during the investigation that shows a side of Reed that some former supporters say cannot be reconciled with his professed Christian values.

Among the more damaging disclosures:

Among those e-mails was one from Reed to Abramoff in late 1998: "I need to start humping in corporate accounts! . . . I'm counting on you to help me with some contacts." Within months, Abramoff hired him to lobby on behalf of the Mississippi Band of Choctaws, who were seeking to prevent competitors from setting up facilities in nearby Alabama.

In 1999, Reed e-mailed Abramoff after submitting a bill for $120,000 and warning that he would need as much as $300,000 more: "We are opening the bomb bays and holding nothing back."

In 2004, when the casino payments to Reed were disclosed, Reed issued a statement declaring "no direct knowledge of their [Abramoff's law firm's] clients or interests." In 2005, however, Senate investigators released a 1999 e-mail from Abramoff to Reed explicitly citing the client: "It would be really helpful if you could get me invoices [for services performed] as soon as possible so I can get Choctaw to get us checks ASAP."

Even Abramoff thought Reed was getting to greedy.

One of the most damaging e-mails was sent by Abramoff to partner Michael Scanlon, complaining about Reed's billing practices and expenditure claims: "He is a bad version of us! No more money for him." Scanlon and Abramoff have pleaded guilty to defrauding clients.

While the feds have subpoenaed Reed's records, he is said at this point not to be a target. Reed won't say whether he has been interviewed or testified before the grand jury.

Even if legal problems don't emerge for Reed, his poltical fortunes are taking a tumble. For more on Reed, the go-to place seems to be the Atlanta-Journal Constitution. Their most recent article is Supporters Ask, Is Reed Worth the Gamble?

A fresh poll showed Reed trailing a Democrat --- any Democrat.

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