Law Firms Using Public Contracts to Divert Money to Democrats: Consumer Advocates

A consumer advocacy organization is sounding the alarm on major law firms siphoning money out of conservative states and into radical, left-wing agendas.

The Alliance for Consumers (AFC) has sent letters (pdf) to Republican governors warning them that major law firms are using public contracts with their state and local governments to fund Democrat officials and organizations while diverting money away from victims and consumers.

In the letter, AFC Executive Director O.H. Skinner discusses its consumer protection report on what it called the “Shady Trial Lawyer Pipeline,” (pdf) in which eight law firms the report labeled the “Shady Eight,” have used consumer protection contracts “to funnel money into aggressively partisan political giving.”

“The Consumer Protection Report exposes how these trial lawyers rely on public contracts with states and local governments that often lack basic protections (including basic ethics protections) to tighten their hold, all while diverting money away from everyday consumers and sending 99% of their federal donations to liberal candidates and committees,” Skinner wrote in the letter.

In the report, the AFC said law firms, which include Morgan & Morgan, Motley Rice, and Maron & Budd, have generated up to $18 million in political donations to Democrat committees and candidates.

“That is the total given by the firms directly, their 1,400 or so combined lawyers, and other employees and staff,” the report states. “Of that, over $3 million was generated by the firms during 2021 and 2022.”

Partisan Political Giving Supported by Money From State Contracts

In 2021 and 2022, the report said these firms continued to donate strongly.

According to the report, the law firms sent 99 percent of their over $3 million in combined federal donations to Democrat campaigns and allied committees.

“The lowest contribution percentage given by a member of the Shady Eight to Democrats and their allies between 2021 and 2022 was from Grant & Eisenhofer, with 97 percent of donations going to support Democratic campaigns and allied political committees,” the report said, while other firms demonstrated a 100 percent commitment to Democrats.

According to the Federal Election Commission’s (FEC) recorded donations, Lieff Cabraser, another law firm, sent more than 50 percent of its over $750,000 in combined donations to support Democratic senatorial candidates in 2021 and 2022.

This includes sending more than $100,000 to Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.).

According to the report, in 2021 and 2022, Motley Rice generated over $750,000 in combined FEC donations, with 55 percent used to fund Democratic candidates for U.S. Senate.

The report listed U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Sen. Catherine Masto (D-Nev.), and Warnock among the top five recipients of the law firms’ donations.

Morgan & Morgan donated $2.2 million to Presi