Trial Lawyers Donate Millions of Dollars to Democratic Candidates
Trial lawyers representing investors, injured people and consumers have donated millions of dollars this election cycle to Democratic political candidates.
Amid speculation that Democrats will lose control of Congress, some trial lawyers are donating more money than in either of the two previous election cycles, the National Law Journal reports.
President Barack Obama recently showed his appreciation, attending a fund-raiser in August at the home of Russell Budd, a name partner at the toxic tort firm Baron & Budd, the story says. Lawyers at the firm have donated more than $338,000 to political candidates this election cycle.
The story lists total federal campaign contributions by lawyers at these plaintiffs firms in the 2010 election cycle:
• Susman Godfrey, $523,559.
• Nix, Patterson & Roach, $489,681.
• Waters & Kraus, $360,720.
• Baron & Budd, $338,633
• Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd, $314,170.
A group representing trial lawyers, the American Association for Justice, has also succeeded in attracting donations for candidates. It has raised $2.48 million through its political action committee. AAJ spokesman Ray DeLorenzi told the NLJ that trial lawyers want to counter the influence of corporations.
“When the Chamber of Commerce is spending millions of dollars on behalf of anonymous multinational corporations, it certainly serves as a motivating factor for trial attorneys to support candidates that will take on these powerful interests and ensure people can receive justice in the courtroom,” he said.
