In the first quarter filing for 2009, Democratic nominee for Attorney General Steve Shannon reported receiving $272,644 in cash and in-kind contributions from 248 individuals, organizations and businesses, more than double the $105,205 raised by the top Republican AG nominee, John Brownlee. Admittedly that is an awful lot of money, but is it representative of Shannon’s connection to Virginia or to moneyed interests?
A look at Steve Shannon’s filing shows 207 contributions over $100 for $269,500, well over $1000 per donor on average. But much of that money came from himself, out of state litigators, unions, PACs, and interests that don’t have the best interests of Virginians’ at heart.
$29,475 Friends of Steve Shannon
Himself.
$25,000 Barroway Topaz Kessler Meltzer & Check LLP
Based in Pennsylvania and California, BTKM&C LLP’s chief practice areas is Securities Class Action, Antitrust and Consumer Fraud litigation.
$12,500 Kaplan Fox & Kilsheimer LLP
Based in New York, New Jersey, California, and Illinois, Kaplan Fox practices antitrust, securities, and general litigation.
$10,000 Consumer Litigation Associates P.C
Actually based in Virginia, CLA PC is, well, a group of litigators.
$5,000 Virginia AFL-CIO
Union.
$5,000 Law Office of Philip R. Hochberg
Sports lobbyist
$5,000 Vradenburg Mr. George III
AOL
$2,500 AOL
$2,500 Freedom Bail Bonding Co Inc.
Fairfax based bail bonding company.
$1,000 ConsumerAffairs.com Inc.
Consumer advocacy organization based in California, specializing in information on class action and small claims suits.
$1,000 FPH Consulting
Which lists as one of its clients the Democratic Attorney General’s Association.
$1,000 Kay Management
A Silver Spring, Maryland building management company.
$1,000 United Transportation Union
Union
$1,000 PSI PAC
The lobbying arm of Psychiatric Solutions, Inc (http://www.psysolutions.com/), a private mental hospital company recently in the news for the poor management of a Chicago area facility.
Hospital thwarts police inquiries; violence festered in silence
Riveredge failed to keep patients safe, UIC study finds
$101,975 from himself, corporate, outsider, union, and litigation contributions of $1000 or more. Not counting the car dealerships funding his campaign. Or the under $1000 PACs, unions, and interests that show the kind of campaign Shannon’s looking to run – one shaped by moneyed interests who invest in an Attorney General who will represet their interests more than Virginia’s.
You have to shave off an awful lot of Steve Shannon’s money before you start to see how widespread his support in Virginia really is. Or isn’t.
