Lawyer, gambling-interest money pours into court race

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This article originally provided by The Charleston Gazette

May 6, 2008

The latest campaign reports from state Supreme Court candidates, required to be postmarked by Friday, reveal fundraising patterns similar to those in their first reports filed last month with Secretary of State Betty Ireland.

By Paul J. Nyden
Staff writer

The two Democratic Party candidates getting the most votes in the May 13 primary will win spots on the general election ballot in November for the court's two open 12-year seats.

So far, reports from the four Democratic Party candidates reveal:

Huntington lawyer Menis Ketchum raised $788,749, including $42,020 in newly reported contributions and $390,000 in personal loans.

Former Supreme Court Justice Margaret Workman raised $677,329, including $32,779 in new donations and $603,500 in personal loans.

Supreme Court Justice Elliott "Spike" Maynard raised $586,873, including $102,098 in new donations. Maynard has made no personal loans to his campaign.

West Virginia University law professor Bob Bastress raised $155,904, including $32,169 in new donations and $50,000 in personal loans.

The only Republican candidate in the primary is Charleston lawyer Elizabeth "Beth" Walker, who has raised $137,154, including $18,949 in newly reported donations.

The new reports also show:

Bastress received $14,880 of $32,169 in new donations from supporters who contributed $250 or less. In this race, Bastress has received the highest proportion of contributions from small donors of any candidate.

Bastress received $11,116 from lawyers, primarily trial lawyers, including $2,000 from the Charleston firm of Hill, Peterson, Carper, Bee and Deitzler

Bastress also received $1,000 each from the United Mine Workers and West Virginia Education Association; $1,000 from Parry Petroplus, a Morgantown real estate developer; and $500 from Sally M. Susman, a former House of Delegates member from Raleigh County.

Workman received $19,000 in new donations from lawyers, including $1,000 from Scott Segal, who is married to Supreme Court Justice Robin Davis and represents landholders in a $405 million Roane County jury verdict against Chesapeake Energy, a case which will be decided by the Supreme Court.

Workman received other donations from trial lawyers, including: $1,000 from Marvin Masters, $1,500 from Stuart Calwell's Charleston firm and $4,202 from Hill, Peterson, Carper, Bee and Deitzler.

Union political action committees gave Workman $1,500, while the West Virginia State Police PAC donated $500.

Ketchum received $10,007 in new donations from lawyers and $2,000 from business PACs associated with the banking and hospital industries

In addition to $8,000 from labor PACs reported in his initial filing, Ketchum received another $5,500 in donations from unions, including: the United Steelworkers, Regional Council of Carpenters and West Virginia Education Association.

Walker received $1,000 from one lawyer, Ronda Harvey, bringing total donations from her law firm of Bowles Rice to $22,600.

Walker also received $1,000 from Morgantown pharmaceutical giant Milan Puskar; $2,500 from coal companies, including $1,000 each from Consol and Eastern Associated PACs; and $4,000 from other PACs, including those run by Dow Chemical, nursing home owners and the Chamber of Commerce.

Maynard previously reported receiving $1,000 from Charleston Mayor Danny Jones, a Republican, and $500 from Charleston's ex-Mayor Jay Goldman, a Democrat.

Gambling interests also made contributions to Supreme Court candidates:

Workman got $1,000 from Friends of the Track PAC in Charles Town and $1,000 from Jeremy M. Jacobs, chief executive officer of Delaware North Companies and owner of the Boston Bruins hockey team.

Wheeling Island Gaming, which owns the Wheeling Island Hotel-Casino-Racetrack, is Delaware North's largest gambling operation.

Maynard received $5,000 from five individuals associated with Delaware North.

Ketchum received $6,000 from gambling interests, including: $1,000 from Ted Arneault, president of Mountaineer Track in Chester; $1,000 from Penn National Gaming in Wyomissing, Pa., which owns the Charles Town Racetrack; and $4,000 from Delaware North owners.

To contact staff writer Paul J. Nyden, use e-mail or call 348-5164.

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