Washington, D.C. – Campaign Money Watch, a nonpartisan campaign finance watchdog group, today called on Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) to cancel plans to attend an August 18th fundraiser for his presidential campaign – an event hosted by Ralph Reed, the former head of the Christian Coalition who went on to be a key associate of Jack Abramoff, the disgraced lobbyist now in federal prison for influence-peddling.

“Will the real John McCain stand up, already?” asked David Donnelly, director of Campaign Money Watch. “Sen. McCain knows exactly how Ralph Reed helped Jack Abramoff defraud Indian tribes out of tens of millions of dollars, and how Reed lobbied on Abramoff’s behalf to protect sweatshop owners in the Northern Mariana Islands. Sen. McCain should spare himself any further embarrassment by canceling this event immediately. Whose help will he accept next? Tom DeLay’s?”

Reed was a key figure in the scandal that resulted in his longtime friend Jack Abramoff being sent to prison in 2006. After stepping down as head of the Christian Coalition, Reed and Abramoff, along with others, participated in an elaborate scheme that involved Reed taking laundered money from one of Abramoff’s Indian tribe clients to fund religious opposition to the efforts of other tribes to open casinos that would offer competition. In the process, Abramoff overcharged his clients by millions of dollars. Reed’s consulting buisness received $5.3 million from his involvement in the plot.

While Reed was never charged with wrongdoing in the scandal, his ties to Abramoff played a significant role in his defeat in the 2006 Republican primary for lieutenant governor of Georgia. Campaign Money Watch aired ads ahead of that contest that mentioned his involvement with casinos as well as his efforts opposing legislation to protect workers in the Northern Marianas Islands, some of whom were forced to have abortions or engage in prostitution to keep their jobs.

Campaign Money Watch is a project of the nonpartisan Public Campaign Action Fund. The organization works to hold politicians who are against comprehensive campaign finance reform accountable for where they get their political donations.