Metro East Litigation Giant Floods Senate Candidate Giannoulias with Cash

Springfield, IL - A top Metro East law firm known nationally for asbestos litigation has become one of the first and biggest political contributors to the U.S. Senate campaign of Illinois Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias, according to newly filed federal election records.

A Post-Dispatch review of the documents found that lawyers, employees and relatives tied to the SimmonsCooper firm of Alton together donated more than $65,000 to Giannoulias, a Democrat. Most of it came in donations of $2,400 each (the federal limit per donor), within a few days of Giannoulias’ March 2 announcement that he would seek election to the Senate seat vacated last year by President Barack Obama.

SimmonsCooper is a long-time donor to Illinois politicians (mostly Democrats). Ex-Gov. Rod Blagojevich came under fire a few years ago for steering $3 million in state funds toward a minor-league baseball facility in Marion owned by SimmonsCooper co-founder John Simmons. According to The Wall Street Journal, the firm as of last year was the all-time top donor to now Vice-President Joe Biden, who as a senator was a major defender of the litigation industry.

It’s not entirely clear what the firm’s interest is in Giannoulias - other than, perhaps, his status as an Illinois Democrat who, a., might be sympathic to the tort bar as a senator, b., could be around awhile (he’s 33). A spokesperson for the firm didn’t return a message seeking comment on the donations.

Giannoulias, a political protege’ of Obama’s, has raised more than $1 million this year toward his campaign for the seat, which is currently held by Sen. Roland Burris, following his controversial appointment by Blagojevich. Burris, also a Democrat, hasn’t said whether he’ll seek election to the seat next year.