Nichols Opponment Receives Money Outside Norman

July 31, 2008
For immediate release

*** NEWS RELEASE ***




ETHICS REPORTS SHOW TRIAL LAWYER DOLLARS

PROPPING UP DEMOCRAT SENATE CANDIDATES

Lawyer $$ Filling Campaign Coffers in Tulsa, Stillwater, Norman



OKLAHOMA CITY, With their influence at the State Capitol in jeopardy of being greatly diminished with the election of a Republican majority in the State Senate, trial lawyers across the state are almost singularly funding key Democrat campaigns, according to campaign finance reports filed with the Oklahoma Ethics Commission. Specifically, Senator Nancy Riley of Tulsa and candidates Robert Murphy of Stillwater and Diane Drum of Norman have received over 70% of their financial support from lawyers outside of their districts.



Without the largesse of big-time lawyers who have a vested interest in seeing Republicans defeated at the polls, candidates like Nancy Riley, Robert Murphy and Diane Drum would barely have enough campaign money to buy that high-priced gasoline for which Riley is so grateful, said Randy Swanson, Executive Director of the Oklahoma Republican Senatorial Committee. The very lawyers who have financed Brad Henry's campaigns, resulting in his consistent vetoes of lawsuit reform legislation are now funding Democrat Senate candidates across the state and Democrat campaign committees.



In the case of Nancy Riley, their investment is already paying dividends, due to the fact that she has flip-flopped numerous times on the important tort reform legislation we need to keep our business climate and medical services thriving, Swanson said. She was for it before she was against it.



An analysis of Ethics reports over the past three reporting periods (4th quarter 2007,1st & 2nd quarters 2008) indicate the following startling statistics:



Senator Nancy Riley of Tulsa has raised $125,065 in individual, reportable (over $50) contributions. Of that figure, $85,425 has been raised from trial lawyers. Add the $5,400 her campaign has raised from lobbyists and Democrat legislators, such special interests account for 72.6% of Riley?s financial support.



Candidate Robert Murphy of Stillwater, the former judge, only recently announced his candidacy, and has filed one Ethics report. In that report, Murphy reports raising $51,600 from individuals, of which $35,900 69.6% -- has come from lawyers, most from outside of Stillwater or Payne County.



Candidate Diane Drum of Norman has raised $74,485 from individuals of which $56,115 has come from lawyers, most of whom live outside Norman and Cleveland County, accounting for 75.3% of her financial receipts.

None of the above figures include contributions from liberal, pro-labor, anti-tort reform PACs, which are proving to be very generous to Democrat candidates and committees.



In a tactic indicative of haphazard campaign reporting or intentional misrepresentation, many lawyers list their occupations on these reports as Self Employed, Consultant, or some other innocuous title. However, a simple online search of their names belies their true occupations, and exposes the magnitude of the support from this special interest group enjoyed by Democrats.



This is just the tip of the iceberg,Swanson said. A vast majority of the lawyers who have contributed to these and other Democrat Senate candidates have not yet given the legal maximum amount, so there are hundreds of thousands of dollars still on the table for their cause.



With almost three of every four dollars in Democrat campaigns coming from the Democrat Party's most affluent and reliable special interest group, the Trial Bar is making its last, bold stand to maintain its stranglehold on the Capitol, and the State Senate is their final beachhead. They won't go down without a fight.



Oklahoma voters need to be aware of who controls the Democrats in the Senate, and to whom they are beholden, Swanson concluded.

www.oksenategop.com



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