America 21

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America 21 is a evangelical Christian political action committee based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is headed by J. Thomas Smith, and funds Republican candidates.

Contents 1 Corruption and Tom DeLay/Jack Abramoff 2 Alexander Strategy Group 3 Footnotes 4 External links

[edit] Corruption and Tom DeLay/Jack Abramoff

Main article: Jack Abramoff Indian lobbying scandal

America 21 was subpoenaed by federal investigators to produce records that tie them to Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff.^[1] A memo Abramoff wrote in 2001 to a Native American tribe telling them to contribute to America 21 was made public last year. The article reported:

In a letter sent to the Coushatta Indian tribe in Louisiana in 2002, Abramoff wrote that a $10,000 check the tribe contributed to the political action committee Texans for a Republican Majority needed to be canceled and the money reissued to America 21. Abramoff directed the tribe to make tens of thousands of donations and once directed leaders to cancel $55,000 in checks to then-House Majority Whip Tom DeLay, R-Texas, and divert them to other groups. The stated purpose of America 21 is to "educate, engage, and mobilize Christians to influence national policy at every level." The conservative, nonprofit lobbying organization was active in the 2002 elections that maintained a Republican majority of the U.S. House of Representatives. America 21 ran an outreach program in 2002 that targeted voters with conservative religious ties. The group maintains a public charity and a civic organization that is involved in political lobbying. America 21 has been called a "critical friend" by Abramoff allies in e-mails obtained by the National Journal.

[edit] Alexander Strategy Group

America 21 had ties to the Alexander Strategy Group, a now-closed lobbying firm run by Ed Buckham, a former chief of staff to House majority whip Tom DeLay. America 21’s president, J. Thomas Smith, was the lawyer for Buckham's U.S. Family Network, and the secretary-treasurer for the Republican Majority Issues Committee, a DeLay political action committee run by another ASG employee.^[2]

[edit] Footnotes

1. ^ Kate Howard and Anita Wadhwani, Abramoff probe looks to Nashville-based PAC, Tennessean, August 2, 2006.
2. ^ Barbara T. Dreyfuss, "Poison Pill: How Abramoff's cronies sold the Medicare drug bill", Washington Monthly, November 2006

[edit] External links

• America 21- Official website