Ralph Reed Skates

Prosecutors conclude Reed investigation

03/27/2006

Associated Press

A county official won't prosecute Ralph Reed after allegations that the former director of the Christian Coalition was paid by indicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff to persuade state officials to shut down two Texas tribal casinos.

Travis County Attorney David Escamilla started investigating Reed — not registered as a lobbyist — after three public watchdog groups complained that he was paid a reported $4.2 million from Abramoff and partner Michael Scanlon to persuade state lawmakers to close casinos operated by the Tigua tribe of El Paso and the Alabama-Coushatta tribe of Livingston in East Texas.

State law requires all lobbyists in Texas to register with the Texas Ethics Commission.

Escamilla said Monday that his office had concluded its investigation and the deadline to press charges had expired.

"Although new information and revelations regarding Mr. Abramoff and his activities continue to flow as a result of his recent indictment and guilty plea, all information we have received, to date, concerning Mr. Reed's activity in Texas relate to calendar years 2001 and 2002," Escamilla said in a statement. "Texas Code of Criminal Procedure provides that misdemeanor charges may not be presented beyond two years of the date of commission of the offense."

The investigation later expanded to include a new allegation that Reed lobbied members of State Board of Education for the in-school TV network Channel One.

"We will continue to review any new information regarding Mr. Reed's lobbying activities and move forward to enforce Texas' lobby registration laws should any violations not barred by the statute of limitations come to our attention," he said.

About Channel One:


A Message from Judy L. Harris

Channel One holds its programming and content to rigorous standards. The content we broadcast is well researched and a balanced viewpoint is presented to ensure our teen viewers have the facts to make informed decisions and spark a dialogue among their peers, with their educators, and with their parents. Channel One is very serious about its role in producing content that is not skewed, endorsed, or offered to further a personal or corporate agenda. And not unlike other established media, we encounter voices who blur, distort or perpetuate half-truths to further their own, very personal agenda.

Channel One is a champion of the First Amendment and free speech. We do feel, however, that we have a responsibility to our viewers, partners, sponsors and our many advocates in education to acknowledge the misinformation that exists-- information that is often laden with opinion and assumption, dated, unfounded, un-researched, and with intent to sway or shape perception. We at Channel One find the strong-arm tack an offense and a discredit to our viewers, as we are big believers in presenting facts to inform, empower, or engage a debate.

An incomplete view on an issue is, at best, incomplete. The other half of the picture-- and what those acting on inaccuracies or a personal agenda might fail to highlight-- is this: Channel One has been broadcasting for more than 16 years, and we're very proud of our history of educational and public service initiatives-- for example, 20 percent of our advertising inventory is devoted to the broadcast of PSAs on topics such as anti-smoking, hurricane relief, emergency preparedness and school violence.

We have countless anecdotes from teachers and students who say Channel One is the only source of news and public affairs that is reliably aired to teens. They tell us how much they value it as a springboard to discussion that moves beyond the pages of the textbook. With consistency, our programming and content have been singled out in the industry for innovation, creativity and impact. Most recently, Channel One received its second Peabody Award for a segment chronicling the humanitarian crisis in Sudan, as well as two Webby awards for content developed expressly for ChannelOne.com.


In the context of teens and education, broadcast media can be part of a solution. It is a vehicle to carry powerful messages. For that very reason, we will continue our commitment to our teens, educators and sponsors by seeking meaningful ways to message and create interaction.

Judy L. Harris
President and CEO

Our Peabody Award-winning show is the preeminent news and public affairs content provider to teens, reaching more than seven million teens in middle schools and high schools across the country, nearly 30% of teenagers in the U.S.