WASHINGTON - With two major bills to limit lawsuits heading for the Senate floor, trial lawyers last month contributed $508,000 to Democratic Senate campaigns.
The Houston law firm of Williams Bailey donated $250,000 of the total raised from trial lawyers in unregulated soft money during April by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.
The committee took in $300,000 at a fund-raiser in Savannah, Ga., during an Association of Trial Lawyers of America conference. Trial lawyers could chat with Democratic senators Tom Daschle of South Dakota, the Senate minority leader; John Edwards of North Carolina, a former trial lawyer himself; Charles Robb of Virginia; and John D. Rockefeller IV of West Virginia.
Senate Republicans also are collecting money from special interests awaiting action on legislation. Last month the railroad industry contributed $185,000 to the National Republican Senatorial Committee. Lawmakers are considering legislation to renew the Surface Transportation Board, which regulates railroads.
The lawyers' contributions come as the Senate this month could take up two House-passed bills being pushed by business as a way to curb lawsuits.
The lawyers group declined to discuss their contributions, except to say that there was no connection between the donations and the upcoming legislation. Several law firms, including Williams Bailey, did not return telephone messages.
David DiMartino, a spokesman for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, said there was no connection between the legislation and fund-raiser.
A chamber official was skeptical. ''I don't think this comes as a surprise to anyone who has been watching the evolution of trial lawyers' spending after the tobacco settlement,'' said Jim Wootton, executive director of the chamber's Institute for Legal Reform.
