Given that the PAC tosses out hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of free goodies every election cycle, like float riders in a Mardi Gras parade, Fat Tuesday might be a better name for it.
Instead of aluminum doubloons and plastic beads, however, the PAC throws support to favored candidates in the form of massive media buys and other get-out-the-vote efforts. Picture those candidates jostling each other and clamoring for attention as they yell, “Throw me something, mister!”
PAC man Matthiesen raised $850,000 for the fund in the first six month of this year, thanks to contributions from Houston attorneys and law firms, who must think money spent to elect Democrat candidates is money well spent – a good investment, so to speak.
Leading the pack of PAC contributors this year, each with with $100,000 donations, are the Williams Kherkher toxic tort law firm, hurricane chasers Laminack Pirtle & Martines, personal injury firm Perdue & Kidd, Arnold & Itkin, and attorney William Hagans.
Matthews & Associates and attorney Richard Mithoff both ponied up half that much.
Pitching in $25,000 apiece were Hartley Hampton PC, Lubel Voyles LLP, Pierce Skrabanek Bruera PLLC, Raizner Slania LLP, the Ammons Law Firm, Zehl & Associates PC, the Settlement Alliance, attorney Joseph Ahmad and his firm, and attorney Kenneth Fibich.
It’s not surprising that trial attorneys who are predominantly Democrats prefer to have fellow party members in office or on the bench. Like-minded law makers, enforcers, and judges are bound to be good for business, if your business is litigation.
The average citizen, however, may be concerned about the seeming conflict of interest involved in this process and the enormous sums of money devoted to it.
Fortunately, the average citizen has the final say on election day, and all that money may just be thrown away like Mardi Gras trash.