Philadelphia Trial Lawyers Association donates total of $195,000 to two state Supreme Court justices, prominent lawmakers and judicial candidate
by Bill Keisling
The Philadelphia Trial Lawyers Association calls its political action committee “The Committee for a Better Tomorrow.”
But the trial lawyers don’t seem to need a better tomorrow. The group seems quite pleased with the status quo today.
In the last four months, state campaign records show, the trial lawyers’ PAC donated as total of $195,000 to powerful insiders and candidates, including donations to two incumbent state Supreme Court justices, and several influential lawmakers.
Some of these political donations are large, even by Pennsylvania standards.
As I wrote last week, the trial lawyers’ PAC donated $50,000 to the November retention election of state Supreme Court Chief Justice Ronald Castille.
A search of state records also shows the trial lawyers recently gave another $50,000 to Castille’s brother on the high court, Justice Max Baer, on July 19.
The trial lawyers gave another $60,000 to state senator Stewart Greenleaf (R – Montgomery / Bucks) on July 19, 2013.
Sen. Greenleaf if chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and is influential in matters of court rules and discipline.
All told, state records show, the trial lawyers’ PAC in recent months gave $195,000 in political contributions to the following candidates:
Supreme Court Chief Justice Ronald Castille, $50,000, July 19, 2013
Supreme Court Justice Max Baer, $50,000, July 19, 2013
State Senator Stewart Greenleaf, $60,000, July 19, 2013
State Rep. Kate Harper, $15,000, September 12, 2013
State Rep. Tim Hennessey, $10,000, September 12, 2013
Victor Stabile, candidate for Superior Court judge, $10,000, June 11, 2013
State Rep. Harper (R-Montgomery) is chairman of the House Local Government Committee. In her position she has helped produce legislation important to trial lawyers.
Harper’s state bio explains, “In the 2011-12 session, Kate was a leader in the bipartisan effort to enact a new law allowing expert witnesses to testify about the dynamics of sexual violence and victim responses to such assaults.”
Rep. Tim Hennessey is a former trial attorney who serves with Harper on the House Local Government Committee, and is chairman of the Aging and Older Adult Services Committee.
Victor Stabile, of Mechanicsburg, is a former Cumberland County Republican Party chairman who unsuccessfully ran for Superior Court in 2011. At the time, during the 2011 election, the trial lawyers’ PAC gave $300,000 to Stabile’s opponent, David Wecht, and $25,000 to Stabile. It’s not clear why the PAC gave $10,000 to Stabile this June.
The largest recent contribution from the trial lawyers PAC, $60,000, went to state Sen. Stewart Greenleaf, chair of the senate judicial committee.
Greenleaf’s committee oversees the courts and writes many rules affecting trial lawyers and judges.
The judiciary committee is also responsible for trying misbehaving judges who are impeached by the general assembly.
Sen. Greenleaf played a prominent role at the trial of state Supreme Court Justice Rolf Larsen, when the latter was impeached and removed from the bench by the state senate in 1994.
