Corpus Christi trial lawyer Mikal Watts' generosity crosses state lines, as Senators Barbara Boxer and Tom Daschle are just a few of his beneficiaries.
Even while continuing to give the majority of his booty to Democrats, Watts is increasingly dabbling in Republican politics both with direct contributions and by supporting PACs that have given money to Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, State Rep. Bryan Hughes, and John Devine.
Friends of Thomas Pirtle
Although Pirtle recently parted ways with his longtime law partner John O'Quinn,
he remains tied at the hip with liberal Democrats.
His contributions to John Edwards, Patty Murray, and other big-time Democrats are not surprising, but the $2,500 he gave to Steve Hotze's Conservative Republicans of Harris County raised eyebrows.
Mikal Watts
Corpus Christi liberal personal injury trial lawyer Mikal Watts of the Watts Law Firm has given hundreds of thousands to Democrat candidates and committees, including liberal Democrats Barbara Boxer, John Edwards, Tom Daschle, John Kerry, Nick Lampson, and Martin Frost.
In addition to backing liberal Democrats at the federal level, Watts has also given thousands to state Democrats like Kirk Watson and Sherry Boyles. Although the bulk of his booty continues to go to Democrats, Watts has increasingly bankrolled selected Republicans both directly and indirectly.
Late in 2004, Watts gave $125,000 to the Good Government Political Action Committee, which in turn contributed $10,000 to David Dewhurst, $25,000 to GOP plaintiff lawyer State Rep. Bryan Hughes, and $50,000 to HillCo PAC, a well connected Austin lobbying firm that has in turn made large donations to Republican statewide officials. Watts has also contributed thousands to Republican Texas Supreme Court Justices Wallace Jefferson and Paul Green.
In March 2006, Watts contributed $10,000 to Texans For Insurance Reform (TFIR), which in the most recent primary backed GOP legislative candidates Gus Ramirez and John Devine who lost to Leo Berman and Patricia Harless respectively. Similarly, TFIR pumped thousands into the campaigns of plaintiff lawyers Drew Mouton and Wade Gent, who were defeated by Jim Landtroop and Betty Brown respectively.
In 2003, Watts forked over $75,000 to Save Texas Courts, a massive and unsuccessful trial lawyer campaign to defeat Proposition 12, which capped non-economic damages in medical malpractice cases, thereby reducing insurance rates and expanding the supply of doctors. Watts has also made dozens of contributions to the Texas Trial Lawyer Political Action Committee.
Watts has been another drag on the struggling U.S. auto industry, having served as the Co-Chair of the Attorneys Information Exchange Group’s Chrysler Minivan Liftgate Latch Litigation Subgroup and chair of the State Court Liaison Committee of the Ford Explorer/Firestone Tire federal multi-district litigation.
Thomas Pirtle
Earlier this year, Houston plaintiffs’ lawyer Thomas Pirtle left the notorious plaintiffs’ firm O’Quinn, Laminack & Pirtle, which was known for its breast implant litigation and for showing up at the site of plane crashes. Such antics led to sanctions by the Texas State Bar against O’Quinn.
Pirtle has given thousands to liberal Democrat U.S. Senators Barbara Boxer, John Edwards, and Patty Murray, as well as the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. However, he has also dumped $4,000 into the campaign coffers of South Carolina GOP Senator Lindsey Graham.
At the state level, Pirtle has given over $25,000 to liberal Democrats, including trial lawyer Kirk Watson and the Texas Democratic Party. In the current race for Governor, Pirtle has parted ways with his trial lawyer buddies supporting Strayhorn by pumping $25,000 into Democrat Chris Bell’s campaign.
Most interestingly, Pirtle gave $2,500 to the Conservative Republicans of Harris County PAC headed by Steve Hotze. He also contributed $5,000 to trial lawyer Rick Plezia’s failed 2004 GOP primary campaign against State Rep. Joe Nixon. Additionally, Pirtle chipped in $1,000 to one of the many unsuccessful campaigns waged by GOP plaintiff lawyer John Devine.
Pirtle served as co-liaison counsel for Harris County's plaintiffs steering committee on fen-phen litigation. In 1998, Pirtle was fined $2,500 by Delaware Judge Yada Magee for getting in the face of jurors and trying to send them “subliminal messages.”
