If Tobacco Five plaintiffs' lawyer Walter Umphrey calls Senators Chuck Schumer and Joe Biden, you can be sure his call gets returned considering the thousands he has given to them and the millions he has given to Democratic candidates, officeholders, and party organizations.
Now, he has lavished over a third of a million on Carole Strayhorn's gubernatorial bid.
Friends of Fred Baron
Asbestos kingpin Fred Baron has given hundreds of thousands to liberal Democrats from John Kerry to Tony Sanchez.
Despite continuing to give massive sums to Democrats, Baron has also pumped thousands into the campaigns of Carole Strayhorn and Wade Gent, a trial lawyer who in 2006 mounted an unsuccessful GOP primary challenge to conservative State Rep. Betty Brown.
Friends of John E. Williams
This Tobacco Five tycoon can't kick the habit of giving hundreds of thousands to liberal Democrats who oppose tort reform.
However, he has recently directed a small share of his contributions to Republicans, including some $200,000 to Carole Strayhorn.
Walter Umphrey, Provost & Umphrey
Walter Umphrey, a Tobacco Five member has given more than $1 million to the Texas Democratic Party alone. Umphrey has poured in $350,000 to renegade Republican Carole Keeton Strayhorn for Governor, who all together has collected well over $1 million from Democrat liberal personal injury trial lawyers since announcing her campaign.
While Umphrey continues to give thousands to liberal Democrats like State Senators Rodney Ellis and Judith Zaffirini, he has also given $5,000 to Republican State Senator John Carona, who temporarily held up asbestos reform legislation.
At the national level, Umphrey has given thousands to liberal Democrat Senators Tom Daschle, Chuck Schumer, Joe Biden, John Kerry, and Patrick Leahy while also giving money to a handful of Republicans, such as Senator John McCain and Texas Congressman Ted Poe. In the 2006 Republican primary, Umphrey donated $2,000 to fellow trial lawyer Brian Keith Walker, who lost handily in the April run-off to Larry Durrett in House District 11.
Fred Baron, Baron & Budd
Fred Baron, an asbestos personal injury trial lawyer, has given millions in soft money to the national and state Democratic Parties. Baron has also donated hundreds of thousands to dozens of liberal Democrats like Hillary Clinton, John Kerry, Tom Daschle, Barbara Boxer, Chet Edwards, Tony Sanchez, Kirk Watson, and Eliot Shapleigh.
However, Baron has also donated $20,000 to the gubernatorial campaign of revolting Republican Carole Keeton Strayhorn, $4,000 to Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst, and $1,000 to Republican Senator Arlen Specter.
In the 2006 GOP primary, Baron gave $2,500 to Wade Gent, a plaintiff lawyer who unsuccessfully challenged conservative Republican incumbent Betty Brown.
John Eddie Williams, Williams & Bailey
John Eddie Williams, another Tobacco Five member, has given $325,000 alone to the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee. Williams has also lavished thousands on liberal Democrats Hillary Clinton, Ted Kennedy, Chuck Schumer, Joe Biden, Barbara Boxer, State Rep. Paul Moreno, and former State Rep. and Waco plaintiff lawyer John Mabry.
Williams has dumped $200,000 into wayward Republican Carole Strayhorn’s campaign for Governor while also contributing to Republican plaintiff lawyer John Devine’s unsuccessful campaign for Congress, Republican Texas Supreme Court Justice Paul Green, and GOP U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch.
