Full story in Legal Newsline
By Chris Dickerson
Trial lawyers are waging lawfare against President Donald Trump, and America’s business leaders by exploiting loopholes in an unregulated system while driving up costs for every family.
In 2022 alone, excessive litigation drained $529 billion from the U.S. economy — the equivalent of $4,207 per household.
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And earlier this year, Trump called the lawyer lobby “the strongest lobby in the world” at a press conference following the California Wildfires.
During his first presidency, individuals repeatedly sued Trump properties, including his D.C. hotel, Trump Tower in New York City and his Doral Resort in Florida.
“In Texas and across the country, trial lawyers are weaponizing the courts,” said Kathleen Bashur, communications director of Texans for Lawsuit Reform. “They are attacking President Trump and other conservatives and businesspeople.
“Once they pocket massive payouts, they funnel those winnings straight into the campaigns of liberal politicians who try and create even more opportunities for litigation. It’s a corrupt cycle that drives up the cost of living for every American family, distorts our economy, and undermines confidence in the justice system.
“The billboard attorneys aren’t just suing small businesses — they’re funding a political machine.”
The executive director of Protecting American Consumers Together agreed.
“President Trump has called the lawyer lobby ‘the strongest lobby in the world,’ and he’s right,” PACT’s Lauren Zelt said. “President Trump can continue to deliver on his promise of lowering costs for American families by calling on Congress to end lawsuit abuse once and for all.”
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According to the National Review, trial lawyers spend millions backing Democrats and get public contracts in return.
“Trial-lawyer groups have spent millions in recent years to support Democrats who then reward their benefactors with lucrative public contracts to represent consumers in lawsuits against deep-pocketed companies, revenue which the lawyers then pour back into the political system,” the National Review story states. “The Alliance for Consumers discovered that political action committees tied to trial lawyers spent $26 million supporting Democratic candidates, affiliated committees, and activist groups from 2017 to 2023.”
A Fox News report showed that prominent trial lawyer firms – including Lieff Cabraser, Motley Rice, Grant & Eisenhofer, Simmons Hanly and Baron & Budd – donated nearly 100% of their contributions to Democrats in 2024. Collectively, employees of these firms gave more than $15 million to federal campaigns from 2017–2020, $14.85 million of which went to Democrats.
Another report shows similar figures for the time frame of 2017 to 2020.
For example, California Gov. Gavin Newsom received more than $1 million from trial lawyers from 2017 to 2023. They also spent more than $800k to defeat the 2022 recall effort. California Attorney General Rob Bonta, also a Democrat, received more than $340,000, and the California Democratic Party received more than $425,000.
In the same time window, trial lawyers contributed more than $4.5 million to campaigns and committees in Nevada. Gov. Steve Sisolak received $134,500, Supreme Court Justice Lidia Stiglich received $85,600 and Attorney General Aaron Ford received $83,000.
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Other trial lawyer firms contributed at least $1,625,000 to First Tuesday PAC, including Arnold & Itkin ($275K), Abraham Watkins ($300K), and Sorrels Law ($100K).
The First Tuesday PAC paid $1.3 million to Texas Tool Belt, a progressive canvassing firm. The home page of First Tuesday PAC says Texas Republicans are “a threat to democracy.”
And arguably the most well-known trial lawyer and firm in America – John Morgan of Morgan & Morgan – donates heavily to Democrats and their causes.
Morgan, who calls himself a “longtime friend” of President Joe Biden, raised $1.7 million for at a fundraiser at his home in Biden’s 2020 campaign against Trump.
Since 1992, Morgan personally has donated nearly $3 million to Democratic candidates. He has hosted fundraisers at his home for the Clintons, President Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi as well.