From The Southern

BIG DOLLARS EXPECTED TO FLOW IN JUDICIAL CAMPAIGN
BY JEFF SMYTH

[Wed Aug 04 2004]
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS -- While some are predicting millions of dollars will be
spent on the Fifth Judicial District Supreme Court race, only a pittance of
that money has trickled in so far, candidate financial disclosures show.
Republican Lloyd Karmeier of Nashville reports about $181,000 in
contributions was received between Jan. 1 and June 30. His Democratic
opponent, Gordon Maag of Glen Carbon, raised almost $53,000 during the same
time.
But the numbers are hardly an indicator of what's to come, said Cindi Canary
of the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform. Big dollars will, if they
haven't already, flow into the campaigns. This will follow a trend in
Illinois Supreme Court races started in 2000 when $2.5 million was spent in
a four-candidate Democratic primary in the First Judicial District and
continued in 2002 when $1.4 million was infused in the general election for
the Fourth Judicial District seat.
"When I look at Maag and Karmeier I see the seeds of what will flow into
their campaigns in October," Canary said. "It is all smoke and mirrors right
now. I project the big money is going to roll in later."
Canary can't say just how much that will be but she suspects what is donated
to the candidates directly will pale in comparison to what special interests
will spend.
"I'm trying to read the signs and find out who the players are," Canary
said. "It's hard to say if it will come in the amounts expected, but it will
come."
Jane Schaafsma, the judicial project director for ICPR, said last month she
wouldn't be surprised if third-party interests dole out as much as $5
million backing the candidates.
Karmeier is supported by business, the medical community and others in favor
of tort reform. Maag's base comes from trial lawyers who are resistant to
changes to the Illinois judicial system. These interests in particular are
expected to invest heavily in the race.
Ed Murnane, president of the Illinois Civil Justice League, said the war
chest, at least for Maag, is already being stuffed but it is not money that
shows up on the candidates disclosure forms. Rather, trial lawyers are
sending it to the Democratic Party of Illinois to be used promoting Maag.
Murnane points out that five trial lawyers or firms specializing in personal
injury cases have already contributed $500,000 -- $100,000 each -- out of
total of $738,000 the state party collected during the first six months of
the year. Murnane speculates that the money from the legal community is
intended to help Maag.
"That money is clearly earmarked for the Fifth District race," Murnane said.
"The Democrats won't deny it. They are certainly not worried about Barack
Obama or John Kerry. The Bush campaign has already written Illinois off. Why
would $500,000 from lawyers go to the party but for the Supreme Court race?"
Steve Brown, DPI spokesman, said Murnane's premise is unfounded. No money
collected has been to be designated to any campaign.
"That is the fertile and inaccurate mind of the Civil Justice League
talking. There have been no spending decisions made by the party," Brown
said. "Does the Democratic Party support the nominee, yes. Gordon Maag is
clearly the only one qualified for the job."
Reports contradict at least part of what Brown says. Some DPI money has
already gone to the Maag campaign. More than $9,035 in salary was paid by
the party to Kyle Anderson, a Maag campaign coordinator. Another $17,200 was
used to cover campaign staff insurance, purchase computer software, mail
promotional material and media production for Maag. It is how much more, if
any, that hasn't been determined.
"I can't comment on what the party will do," Anderson said. "I'm part of the
support they are giving. I might be all they give. I don't know."
While Karmeier leads in money collected thus far, campaign spokesman Steve
Tomaszewski doesn't expect it to last. He said with the backing of trial
lawyers, Maag has unlimited access to funds.
"We took a fairly aggressive approach to trying to raise money knowing the
other side can raise a lot of money from a small number of people,"
Tomaszewski said. "The trial lawyers are capable of raising a lot of money.
They had five contributions at $100,000 each. We can't do that.
"We have over 1,100 small contributors. We don't have individuals who can
write those huge checks," he added.
Maag has vowed to accept no individual contribution of more than $2,000 and,
indeed, he has returned donations that exceeded his self-imposed ceiling.
The latest financial report shows Maag has received 11 contributions of
$2,000.
The largest single donation Karmeier received was $10,000 from Continental
Casualty Co. of Chicago. Like Maag, though, the majority of donations were
less than $1,000. Illinois campaign finance laws do not restrict how much an
individual can donate. The next financial disclosure filing deadline is
Sept. 30 and will provide a better picture of who is backing who and by how
much, Canary said.
jeff.smyth@thesouthern.com 618-529-5454 x15073