Here’s an arresting statistic: “Of the $695,400 in [individual] donations to the Democratic Party of Illinois this year, all but $6,900 has come from lawyers or law firms.” (Brian Brueggemann, “Law firms give big to Illinois Democrats”, Belleville (Ill.) News-Democrat, Jul. 27; Trisha Howard, “Lawyers dominate in donations to Democrats”, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Jul. 26). Five big plaintiff’s firms contributed $100,000 each, and there is reason to believe that the donations were intended at least in part to assist the campaign for Gordon Maag, the Democratic candidate for Illinois Supreme Court in a district that includes famed litigation hotspot Madison County. (Maag is turning down direct donations of more than $2,000). A report last month for the Illinois Civil Justice League and Illinois Lawsuit Abuse Watch has details (“Justice for Sale II”, Jul. 26 — PDF). Maag is facing Republican candidate Lloyd Karmeier, who’s being backed by business groups, in what is shaping up as a hard-fought campaign (see Mar. 20).

Filed under: Illinois, Madison County, politics