Generous Fellow

"'This is all completely legit,' Norquist said during one of three interviews this week. 'The only reason someone would try to make it sound bad is they don't like Indians or Abramoff.'" Boston Globe (05.13.05):

"Antitax activist Grover Norquist said yesterday that his organization has received nearly $1.5 million from Indian tribes in the past five years and that he arranged for tribal leaders to attend meetings to discuss tax policy with President Bush every year for the past four years. Norquist, who has never before revealed the extent of the money he received from Indians, said he invited the tribes to meet with Bush because they supported the president's tax cut policies, not to lobby for casino interests." Antitax activist says he got $1.5m from tribes

"Norquist also said for the first time that his group, Americans for Tax Reform, sent $1.15 million, which came from a single Indian tribe that runs a casino in Mississippi, to two antigambling groups who were opposing rival gaming operations in next-door Alabama." "The Alabama Christian Coalition, which has a strict policy against receiving money tied to gambling interests, received $850,000, and Citizens Against Legalized Lottery received $300,000, Norquist said." "Norquist said he sent money to the two antigambling groups in Alabama because the tribe wanted to block gambling competition in that state. He said he and his staff never informed the Alabama Christian Coalition about the original source of the funds." Grover is apparently taking the position that "his efforts to introduce the tribal leaders to Bush were unrelated to their contributions to his group." One wonders if the same efforts would have been made had the contributions not been made. Don't wonder too long though.