Rev. Louis Sheldon
Rev. Louis Sheldon is the founder and Chairman of the Traditional Values Coalition (TVC). Founded in 1980, TVC is a conservative "grassroots church lobby" that claims a membership of 43,000 churches. It is based in Orange County, California. TVC's platform states that they are against the spread of legalized gambling.
Jack Abramoff worked with Sheldon a number of times. Because of their previous success, Abramoff called Sheldon "Lucky Louie."
Key Point:
Abramoff's client, a gambling company, paid TVC $25,000 to help defeat an anti-gambling bill.
In 2000, an internet gambling company named eLottery, Inc. hired Jack Abramoff to defeat a bill that was making its way through the House. The bill would have prohibited the sale of state lottery tickets online, eLottery's chief business. Because the bill made an exception for horse racing and jai alai, Abramoff sought to paint conservatives who supported the measure as weak on gambling. To do this, Abramoff recruited Sheldon along with Ralph Reed. In June 2000, eLottery sent TVC a check for $25,000. For his part, Sheldon held news conferences and approached House members who supported the bill, including Tom DeLay, who eventually came out against the bill.
Abramoff's colleague Patrick Pizzella wrote in an email that he saw "lucky Louie out front hi-fiving with some lobbyists" after the bill was defeated.
Some House conservatives tried to resurrect the bill, so Abramoff used Sheldon to pressure them in their home districts through mass mailings. A number of members complained to House leadership; eventually the bill died under the threat that it could cost the GOP as many as four seats in the House.
Sheldon claims to be "shocked out of his socks" that TVC was paid by eLottery or that Abramoff was lobbying against the bill.
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