AUSTIN, Texas, Oct. 29, 2008 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Personal injury trial lawyers poured millions of dollars into Texas elections this cycle and the latest campaign finance reports reveal a last minute tsunami of campaign contributions from wealthy trial attorneys determined to roll back lawsuit reform in Texas.
"Personal injury trial lawyers want to turn back the clock and make Texas the 'lawsuit capital of the world.' They are spending millions to roll back reforms and make that happen," said TLR PAC Director Justin Unruh.
Eight-day reports released on Tuesday show that personal injury trial lawyers provided almost all the campaign contributions to the Texas Democratic Party, the Texas Democratic Trust, Texans for Insurance Reform and First Tuesday, a Houston political action committee that has targeted Harris County.
- The Texas Democratic Trust reported raising $1,874,000 including a $1,497,000 contribution from a single Dallas personal injury trial attorney, Fred Baron, who acquired his wealth in mass asbestos lawsuits.
- The Texas Democratic Party reported raising $3,543,000, almost all from personal injury trial lawyers. Baron's Texas Democratic Trust provided $1,502,759 and 17 trial lawyers contributed $1,930,000 bringing the trial lawyer total to $3,432,759 -- 97% of all Texas Democratic Party contributions. San Antonio trial lawyer Mikal Watts, who has bragged that he could influence appellate court judges because of his campaign contributions, gave $270,000. Nix Patterson & Roach and Provost Humphrey, two of the firms that received the $3.3 billion fee awarded by former Texas Attorney General and convicted felon Dan Morales, each gave $250,000. Nine other personal injury trial lawyers, including John O'Quinn, who was also awarded a 20 percent cut of the $3.3 billion tobacco fee, gave $100,000 each.
- Texans for Insurance Reform reported raising $498,050 including $454,500 from trial lawyers. Tobacco Five lawyers Wayne Reaud and O'Quinn, who was fined $41 million last year for under-paying his clients, contributed $100,000. The asbestos mega-firm Baron & Budd also contributed $100,000.
- First Tuesday PAC, targeting Harris County races, received $860,000 in contributions, almost all from personal injury trial lawyers including $600,000 from Baron's Texas Democratic Trust. Plaintiff lawyer Howard Nations donated $100,000. Richard Mithoff donated $50,000 and Steven Mostyn and the personal injury law firm Matthews and Associates donated $25,000 each for a total of $800,000 or 93% of all First Tuesday's contributions.
TLR PAC is the political arm of Texans for Lawsuit Reform, the state's largest civil justice reform organization. TLR is a bipartisan, volunteer-led coalition with more than 16,000 supporters residing in 818 Texas communities and representing 1,266 different businesses, professions and trades. For more information about TLR visit http://www.tortreform.com/.
Trial Lawyer Contributions: By the Numbers
Texas Democratic Party
Total Contributions: $3,543,185 Texas Democratic Trust $1,502,759 Individual Trial Lawyers $1,930,000 TOTAL $3,432,759 Trial Lawyer Percentage 97% Texans for Insurance Reform
Total Contributions $498,050 Individual Trial Lawyers$454,500 Trial Lawyer Percentage 91%
Texas Democratic Trust
Total Contributions $1,847,000 Trial Lawyer Contributions $1,497,000 Trial Lawyer Percentage 81%
First Tuesday PAC(Houston)
Total Contributions$860,000 Texas Democratic Trust $600,000 Individual Trial Lawyers $200,000 Trial Lawyer Percentage 93%
The Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=2960
CONTACT: Texans For Lawsuit Reform Sherry Sylvester 210-241-5296 sherrysylvester@satx.rr.com