TVC's Sheldon hits the jackpot with money from casinos

Religious Right leader Louis P. Sheldon of the Traditional Values Coalition has come under fire after a California newspaper reported that he and his son have accepted contributions from casinos for organizing efforts to oppose the legalization of other forms of gambling.

The Orange County Register reported last month that casino gambling interests have secretly paid Sheldon's son Steve $156,000 since 1993 to persuade religious groups to oppose "card clubs" in California. The paper reported than an additional $20,000 of gambling money went directly to Lou Sheldon's TVC $10,000 from a racetrack in 1994 and $10,000 in 1998 from a front group set up by Nevada casinos to fight a ballot proposal that would have allowed Indian tribes to sponsor gambling.

"To the best of my recollection, the Rev. Sheldon helped outline some of the views of his group on this issue and helped us develop arguments," said Gina Stassi, a public relations professional who worked with the casinos to oppose the ballot proposition. "So he was basically a consultant and also assisted us in outreaching to some of the Christian and religious groups."

The casinos are eager to stop any expansion of legalized gambling in California, since the competition might decrease their business. They hoped to galvanize religious opposition to the expansion of gambling and enlisted Steve Sheldon, who serves as a legal consultant to TVC, apparently hoping to influence Lou Sheldon as well. Steve Sheldon took on the assignment, but, the newspaper reported, he worked hard to make sure the churches he worked with did not know he was on the casinos' payroll.

Information about the Sheldons' ties to casino interests came to light only because the state's Fair Political Practices Commission conducted an investigation into a 1995 card-club ballot measure in Pico Rivera. During a deposition, a casino lobbyist described how he had hired Steve Sheldon to "provide me as much information and detail as he could about what was happening in the city of Pico Rivera."

Other casino lobbyists said they regarded Steve Sheldon as a pipeline to his father. "I never had a direct conversation with Lou," said Charles G. Westlund Jr., a consultant to the gambling industry. "However, it was clear what you were hiring Steve Sheldon to do. And then Lou Sheldon would turn up at the (anti-gambling) rallies. I hired Steve Sheldon and the Traditional Values Coalition to stir up anxiety in those communities."

A former attorney who once worked for the Commerce Casino was more blunt. "God for hire, that's what I call it," said Hal Mintz, who worked with Steve Sheldon in 1995. "Everyone said, `Steve's not too important, but his dad is.'...You wouldn't buy Steve unless you could buy Lou (too). Everybody knows that."

A minister in Pico Rivera said Steve Sheldon called him in 1995, mentioned his father and asked the minister to join an effort to oppose an effort to allow card clubs in the community. The minister, the Rev. Richard Ochoa, told the Register that Steve Sheldon never mentioned his funding from the casino industry and if he had "I would have ousted him on the spot."

Lou Sheldon insisted that he was not influenced by his son. "All allegations," he said. "No comment. That's what our lawyer said. Totally allegations, and they never went anywhere."

Asked about a $10,000 contribution he had accepted from Hollywood Park Racetrack in 1994, the elder Sheldon replied, "Politics makes strange bedfellows. The devil had that money long enough. It was about time we got our hands on it:'

He added, "We want to stop the expansion of gambling....If we can cut a deal with Hollywood Park (like) we did a number of years ago, that's fine with us. If they can meet our standard, we will accept a donation from them to help us fulfill our mission."

But one religious leader who works full time opposing the spread of legalized gambling disagreed with Sheldon's rationale. "This is a product that brings addiction, bankruptcy, crime and corruption," said the Rev. Tom Grey, head of the National Coalition Against Legalized Gambling. "If you take the industry's money to fight it, you corrupt the message."

In other news about TVC, the organization has apparently decided to launch a witch hunt - literally. On July 7, 1999, TVC mailed a fund-raising letter, signed by Lou Sheldon's daughter Andrea, who serves as the organization's lobbyist in Washington, claiming that a witch is casting evil spells over the Senate.

Andrea Sheldon talked about observing the Senate deliberate a bill designed to combat juvenile crime and wrote that during the first few days of debate, "I could not believe the spirit of confusion that seemed to control the Senate. I do not remember a time when I sensed such confusion:'

Continued Sheldon, "One morning I was waiting to speak with a Senator when I noticed a woman, who I had seen for years and always felt an emanating bad spirit. She had been walking around the room and then sat down and gave the appearance of praying. When I approached to speak to her, her face became contorted and she raised her hand to strike me. Shortly after that encounter I was told she is a witch who comes to the Senate every day and congers [sic] up evil spirits. She has a counterpart who joins her every Tuesday. It became clear to me then why there was such a spirit of confusion."