Trial lawyer PACs contributed $339,477 to various state candidates from January 1 through the end of the first campaign reporting period, March 17, as follows:

Consumer Attorneys Political Action Committee: $149,750
	Assembly Candidates:	$81,000
	Senate Candidates:	$65,750
	Statewide Candidates:	$3,000

Consumers Attorneys Independent Campaign Committee: $85,000
	Assembly Candidates:	$35,000
	Senate Candidates:	$50,000

Consumers Attorneys Association of Los Angeles PAC: $3,500
	Assembly Candidates:	$2,500
	Other Candidates:	$1,000

California Applicant Attorneys Association PAC: $101,227
	Assembly Candidates:	$44,000
	Senate Candidates:	$48,250
	Statewide Candidates:	$8,900

"This is just association political action committee contributions; it does not include individual trial lawyers and firms. Last election cycle, more than twice as much money was contributed by individual trial lawyers and their firms as was contributed by their PACs. If this pattern repeats in 1998, trial lawyer money going into California political campaigns is already headed toward the million dollar mark.

"There is every reason to believe the trial lawyers in 1998 will break their own record of donating more than $3 million to California politicians which they set in 1995-96," Sullivan said. "They should have no trouble staying on top as California's number one source of special interest campaign money."