By Steve Ellwanger
By now, everyone is aware of lobbyist Jack Abramoff and public relations man Michael Scanlon, who have pleaded guilty to various illegal deeds involving their nefarious
representation of American Indian tribes. Here is the bottom line to the saga: They were aided and abetted by politicians, and the media gave them all a free ride.
I write this having, for the past 40 months, handled pro bono media relations for a state-recognized Indian tribe in Connecticut, the Golden Hill Paugussetts. While it
may be common wisdom that the U.S. press is liberal, you would not think so when it comes to Indian affairs--a complicated nexus of history and law that is ripe for manipulation
by the financially and politically powerful.
Among other revelations, what has emerged from the Abramoff/Scanlon affair is that the duo was able to accomplish their various goals by funneling money to, and hiding behind,
seemingly innocuous local "anti-gambling" groups. Some of these groups were actually pro-gambling entities protecting their turf. But until this tactic came to light (via the
Senate Committee on Indian Affairs), the press in places like Alabama, California, Michigan and Texas never bothered to investigate the people behind these front groups or
their ties to local and national politicians.
The Truth About Anti-Indian Casino PR
Long before Abramoff and Scanlon made the headlines, there was a secretive "anti-casino" group in Connecticut fighting the efforts of the Paugussetts and other state-recognized
tribes to gain federal recognition and its attendant benefits (which include the right to operate gaming operations on tribal lands). While the press is always quick to publicly
lambast the tribes' financial backers, the "anti-casino" group has kept the identities of its contributors a secret, and the press has perpetuated this double standard.
Before he stepped down, the leader of the Connecticut anti-casino group routinely toured the state and declared that it was wrong for anyone to hire lobbyists to influence the
federal recognition process at the Bureau of Indian Affairs. In the midst of his campaign, he quietly registered as a lobbyist in Washington to do exactly what he said no
one should do. When informed of his lobbyist status, do you suppose the Connecticut press corps wrote about this double standard? They did not.
It gets worse. Connecticut's Attorney General, Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat, continues to make much political hay from singling out a minority group--state-recognized
Indians--while allying himself with the "anti-casino" group and working together to deprive Indians of their right to due process. Meanwhile, we have a Republican Congresswoman,
Nancy Johnson, who, during the height of debate over another state-recognized tribe in Connecticut, publicly labeled that tribe a "rag-tag group." No public criticism ensued. If
she or any politician called a group of Italians, Mormons, Poles, Muslims or Jehovah's Witnesses a "rag-tag group," how do you suppose the press would react?
How To React?
What are the lessons for PR professionals who decide to represent legitimate but very controversial clients? Here are a few quick tips:
- Become immersed in the subject.
- Stick to the facts and grind it out, month after month, year after year.
- Find and cultivate the journalists who are capable of independent thinking and not afraid to go against the established political order.
- Most important, be sure to run a squeaky-clean operation, because you will be up against powerful opponents, public and private, with the resources and inclination to
undertake any and all manner of behavior. There are literally billions of dollars at stake.
Opposition research, dirty tricks, surveillance, criminal and financial background checks--be prepared to be on the receiving end of nasty tactics from the opposition or don't
get involved. If this sounds like hyperbole, spend an hour or two on Google searching some of the words in the previous sentence, along with the words "Indian casino," and
decide for yourself.
Contact: Steve Ellwanger is the principal of Press Counsel Group, a Darien, CT-based press relations and marketing firm. He can be reached at 203.656.3775 or [email protected].