Democratic Party #1 and #2 money and muscle supporters are teachers and trial lawyers and both groups are after Gov. Rick Perry's scalp.
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"Trial Lawyer Money Floods Texas Political System"
The Money Trail
A clear, straightforward system for reporting campaign finance contributions is essential to the publics ability to participate knowledgeably in elections. The Texas Legislature has established the framework for such a system and the Texas Ethics Commission maintains it. When transparency is missing, or the contributions and disclosures are concealed, the public is not aware of the significant contributions impacting a particular race ... and the public should know.
This report focuses exclusively on contributions by plaintiff lawyers to state officeholders and candidates. These lawyers, however, are major players in federal elections and local and county races. As such, a broad discrepancy exists between the influence trial lawyers wield in our political system and their revealed financial activities.
Further complicating any attempt to chronicle the size and scope of political involvement by plaintiff lawyers is a myriad of political action committees through which they funnel money. Innocent sounding names disguise the fact that these PACs are actually additional trial lawyer conduits. Several of their surrogates include: Texas 2000, Constitutional Defense Fund, the Carl A. Parker PAC, and the Lone Star Fund.
These PACs serve a dual purpose for the plaintiffs bar: They conceal from the public and the casual observer that the funding for specific campaigns originated with trial lawyers. And, they make it almost impossible for researchers to definitively link the source of contributions with its ultimate recipient.
A Single Interest
The plaintiffs bar consistently portrays itself as the champion of the little guy. The advocate of the average citizen who has been injured, swindled or taken advantaged of by business and without whose legal assistance grievous wrongs would remain uncompensated and harmful corporate practices would continue.
This characterization is inaccurate because it conveniently paints an incomplete picture.
In reality, plaintiffs attorneys look to file lawsuits against large corporationsthey invariably go after the deep pockets. The hysteria over moldand its consequential increase in home insurance ratesis the latest in a long line of trial lawyer targets. Next in their sights: fast food restaurants.
The wealthiest plaintiff lawyers hunt constantly for new areas of litigation, and the more potentially lucrative the better. With the little guy out in front, these trial lawyers use the law and our courts to mine corporations for personal financial gain.
MORE: Sept 2002: PDF: How Texas Trial Lawyers Are Attempting to Dump Millions of Dollars into Texas Political Campaigns
Without Leaving any Fingerprints
CFR-Rick will not be the nominee.
Guaranteed.