V&E Goes AWOL:

Reports filed with the state by the PAC of the Texas Supreme Court’s No. 1 donor do not contain legally required disclosures on how that PAC spent $551,516 in political funds last year.

The 14 major-party candidates running for five Supreme Court seats raised $73,430 from Vinson & Elkins’ PAC and attorneys so far in the 2002 election cycle. They took more money from this firm—which was Enron’s trusty legal compass—than any other source. 

But the public cannot see all of V&E’s 2001 political donations because the state’s largest law PAC failed to provide a legally required itemization of its spending. 

The high court’s 14 major-party candidates already have raised $542,790. Predictably, the most financially competitive races are for two open seats that Justices James Baker and Deborah Hankinson are vacating. 
 
 

Supreme Court Contributions
Reported So Far in 2002 Election Cycle

Candidate	Donations	V&E $	Place
Richard Baker, D	Not on file	?	Chief
†Tom Phillips, R	$5,000	$0	Chief
Michael Schneider, R	$228,446	$11,650	1
Linda Yanez, D	$150,800	$250	1
Elizabeth Ray, R*	$212,515	$12,750	2
Dale Wainwright, R*	$103,295	$5,850	2
John Cayce, R*	$142,234	$5,000	2
Jim Parsons, D	$19,300	$0	2
†Wallace Jefferson, R*	$472,329	$12,980	3
William Moody, D	$53,560	$0	3
Sam Lee, R*	Not on file	?	3
†Xavier Rodriguez, R*	$426,515	$18,500	4
Margaret Mirabal, D	$116,275	$6,450	4
Steven Smith, R*	$0	$0	4
TOTAL:	$542,790	$73,430

† = Incumbent
* = Contested primary with 30-day-out disclosure

In the Place 2 race, three well-funded Republicans are vying to face a Democrat who has raised much less money for his uncontested primary. 

After uncontested primaries in the other open-seat race, the best-funded Democrat, Linda Yanez ($150,800), will face Republican Michael Schneider ($228,446). Before then, V&E’s stealth PAC will spend much more to influence the courts. The biggest law PAC should disclose its donations before these elections—as required by law. •