Litigation

AL, MI in Forefront of 2010 Election Spending

By Peter Hardin

Alabama and Michigan finished 2010 in the front of the pack nationally for their expensive state Supreme Court races in 2010, and such high spending has prompted a critical editorial in at least one Alabama newspaper.

Commented the Press-Register (Mobile), in an editorial headlined “Expensive campaigns for high courts raise questions”:

“The problem with state supreme courts and campaign fundraising is that, taken together, they make it appear as though justice is for sale ? whether it?s in Michigan or in Alabama.”

Although overall spending declined for state Supreme Court elections in 2010, Alabama kept its No. 1 ranking for judicial fundraising at $4.3 million, according to an Associated Press article that quoted the Justice at Stake Campaign.

When outside groups’ spending on TV ads was taken into account, Michigan ranked first in the nation for its expensive Supreme Court campaigns in 2010, at $7.8 million, with $2.7 million from candidates and $5.1 million from the outside groups, Charles Hall of Justice at Stake told the Associated Press.

The Press-Register editorial board previously has proposed appointing judges in Alabama, but this time it said that because that reform cannot be accomplished, it favors greater transparency for campaign contributions. The editorial explained:

“Fortunately, the ethics reforms of 2010 will soon ban financial transfers between political action campaigns, making it easier to follow the money from donor to candidate.

“When contributions to state Supreme Court races are viewed clearly in the light of day, at least voters will be able to tell who is bending the ears of candidates who then become justices.”

To learn more about the costs of judicial campaigns in Alabama, click here for earlier Gavel Grab posts, and for Michigan, click here.

Full post as published by The Gavel on February 15, 2011 (boomark / email).