 |
|
|
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 9, 1998 |
CONTACT: John Sullivan PHONE: (916) 443-4900
|
Trial lawyer campaign contributions to candidates for California state offices have already hit the $4.0 million dollar mark in the 1997-1998 election cycle. The total is expected to soar as the November elections near. Available data covers only contributions reported through June 30.
The $4.0 million in plaintiff trial lawyer contributions is evenly split between state-wide office candidates and candidates running for the Legislature.
Gubernatorial candidate Gray Davis is the largest single recipient of trial lawyer campaign funds at $1.4 million dollars. This amounts to 16 percent of his reported contributions from all sources. His opponent Dan Lungren reports receiving $99,000, most of it contributed by the political action committee of the newly formed Republican Trial Lawyers Caucus, a subsidiary of the statewide trial lawyers association. This amounts to 2 percent of his reported contributions from all sources. Davis received approximately $60,000 from trial lawyer committees, with the bulk of his contributions coming from individual trial lawyers and firms.
Reports for Attorney General candidate Bill Lockyer show $350,000 received from trial lawyers, and his opponent Dave Stirling's reports show $7,000 in trial lawyer contributions--all from individual trial lawyers and firms. Lockyer's trial lawyer contributions make up 25 percent of his total reported contributions. Stirling's trial lawyer contributions make up .5 percent of his total reported contributions.
Reports for Phil Angelides, candidate for state treasurer, show him receiving $85,000, while his opponent Curt Pringle's reports show $2,000.
John Sullivan, president of the Civil Justice Association of California, predicted that contributions from trial lawyers to legislative candidates would surpass the $3 million identified in the 1995-96 election cycle. "Everyone has learned to expect trial lawyers to pour lots of last minute funds into districts they want to capture," he said.
"While political contributions are a legitimate part of our freedom to communicate and select our representatives in government, the public should know when narrow interests are running a massive program to elect people they hope will look out for them in Sacramento," Sullivan said.
