The Governor's Gusher:Home
The Sources of George W. Bush's $41 Million texas War Chest

home | table of contents | previous | next
 

IV.   Money By Interest Category



Texans For Public Justice scrutinized all of Bush’s big donors, identifying the economic or ideological interests behind $28 million of the $41 million that Bush raised. These interests are categorized into three main categories (business, labor and ideological interests) and 14 subcategories, which break business money down by industry.


A.  Detailed Interest Categories
 

  • Thanks to the oil industry, Energy & Natural Resources donors dominated the 14 subcategories, delivering $5.6 million to Bush, or 20 percent of his classified war chest.
  • Financial industry donors ranked second, delivering $4.8 million, or 17 percent of Bush’s classified total.
  • Miscellaneous Business interests contributed $3.9 million or 14 percent, led by business machine tycoon Dennis Berman, a Bush fundraising Pioneer.*
Interest Category Total Percent Number of 
Contributions
Agriculture
$909,286 
3.2%
326
Communications & Electronics
$2,027,599 
7.3%
561
Construction
$1,372,047 
5.0%
563
Energy & Natural Resources
$5,545,035 
20.0%
1,642
Finance 
$4,804,015 
17.3%
1,408
Health
$1,871,289 
6.8%
796
Ideological
$ 287,234 
1.0%
81
Insurance
$1,093,843 
3.9%
309
Labor
$99,500 
.4%
22
Lawyers & Lobbyists
$2,363,287 
8.5%
918
Miscellaneous Business
$3,904,472 
14.1%
1,314
Other
$628,995 
2.2%
356
Real Estate
$1,839,323 
6.6%
531
Transportation
$970,459 
3.5%
425
Total 
 $27,716,384
100%
9,252





B.  Tort Tycoons Deliver $4 Million

PACs, business and individuals affiliated with Texas’ two major corporate tort groups contributed a total of $4.1 million to Bush’s two gubernatorial campaigns. As such, these business tort interests contributed more than any other interest category besides Energy and Natural Resources.  Texas’ two leading corporate tort groups advocate limits on legal liability for businesses that have harmed consumers, workers or communities.
 
 

Contributions Tied To Texas Tort Groups
Tort Group '94 Campaign '98 Campaign Totals
Texans for Lawsuit Reform (TLR)
$1,324,570
$2,247,818
$3,572,388
Texas Civil Justice League (TCJL)
$75,164
$507,991
$583,155
Total
$1,399,734
$2,755,809
$4,155,543
Note: Totals include contributions from the two tort groups' PACs, the PACs of businesses
on TCJL's Board of Directors, and from individuals who sit on TLR's Board of Governors.



 
 

Top Tort Dodgers Contributing to Bush
Rank Name Business Interests Affiliation
Amount
1 Louis A. Beecherl, Jr. Energy/Natural Resources TLR
$146,000
2 Phillip D. Adams Insurance TLR
$135,000
3 Peter O'Donnell, Jr. Finance TLR
$128,500
4 Robert C. McNair Energy/Natural Resources TLR
$120,000
5 David H. Dewhurst, III Energy/Natural Resources TLR
$105,500
6 Ray L. Hunt Energy/Natural Resources TLR
$105,000
7 Drayton McLane, Jr. Misc. Business TLR
$104,000
8 Kenneth L. Lay Energy/Natural Resources TLR
$100,000
9 William A. McMinn Chemicals TLR
$100,000
10 Frederick R. Meyer Misc. Business TLR
$100,000
11 Harold Simmons Finance TLR
$90,000
12 J. Virgil Waggoner Chemicals TLR
$85,000
13 Texas Association of Realtors Real Estate TCJL
$83,472
14 James R. Leininger Health Products TLR
$79,750
15 Texas Dental Association Health TCJL
$73,425
16 Ramiro A. Galindo Real Estate Development TLR
$70,000
17 Locke Purnell Rain Harrell Law  TCJL
$65,137
18 Charles Miller Finance TLR
$60,000
19 Robert B. Rowling Energy/Natural Resources TLR
$57,500
20 James D. Pitcock, Jr. Construction TLR
$52,000
     
Total
 $1,860,284

 

* “Pioneer” donors have pledged to raise a minimum of $100,000 for Bush’s presidential race


home | table of contents | previous | next