Microsoft Drops Lobbyist, Citing His Run for Office

Microsoft Corp. said Friday that it had severed ties with Ralph Reed, a Republican lobbyist and former head of the Christian Coalition who is running for lieutenant governor of Georgia.

“Ralph Reed is no longer on retainer with Microsoft,” company spokeswoman Ginny Terzano said.

The move came a month after liberal activists, upset that Microsoft had pulled its support for a gay rights bill in Washington state, urged the software maker to quit using Reed as a political consultant.

The company has since said it will support such legislation in the future.

“Microsoft has a wide range of consultants on retainer, both Democrats and Republicans, and they are brought on based on need and for various reasons, but it’s not our policy to discuss specifics about their retainers,” Terzano said.

She added that the company had used Century Strategies, a public relations and lobbying firm that Reed founded in 1997, to lobby on economic subjects such as international trade and competition, not on social issues.

Although she declined to comment on Reed’s candidacy for lieutenant governor, Terzano said, “It would not be appropriate to have a consultant on retainer that is seeking elective office at the same time.”

Century Strategies did not return a call for comment.

Reed was executive director of the Christian Coalition from 1989 to 1997. He was credited with being the major force behind the organization’s fundraising success. Last year, he was the Southeast regional chairman of President Bush’s reelection campaign.