12:00 AM CST on Friday, December 2, 2005

/ Associated Press

AUSTIN – Three Texas watchdog groups asked a Texas county official Thursday to investigate former Christian Coalition director Ralph Reed, who worked with lobbyist Jack Abramoff to press state officials to shut down two Texas tribal casinos.

Texans for Public Justice, Common Cause of Texas and Public Citizen filed the complaint with Travis County Attorney David Escamilla.

They said Mr. Reed failed to register as a Texas lobbyist in 2001 and 2002, when he received a reported $4.2 million from Mr. Abramoff and his partner Michael Scanlon to push for the closure of casinos operated by the Tigua tribe of El Paso and the Alabama-Coushatta tribe of Livingston in East Texas.

The Texas Ethics Commission, responsible for enforcing state campaign finance laws, requires people to register if they spend more than $500 or receive more than $1,000 in a calendar quarter as compensation or reimbursement to communicate with the legislative or executive branch to influence legislation or executive action.

Craig McDonald, director of Texans for Public Justice, said failing to register is a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail and a $4,000 fine.

Reed spokeswoman Lisa Baron called the complaint "specious." Mr. Reed's consulting company, Century Strategies, was hired by a major law firm to contact Texans and urge them to oppose gambling, she said, "not lobby Texas public officials."

Mr. Escamilla said he is reviewing the complaint but said the statute of limitations on misdemeanors is two years.

The U.S. Senate Indian Affairs Committee has been investigating Mr. Abramoff and Mr. Scanlon on fraud allegations. Mr. Scanlon pleaded guilty last week to conspiracy to bribe public officials and agreed to cooperate with the investigation.

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