GOP donor wants to convince you that money buys justice in Texas
Based on their work, Abraham now believes he understands the mathematical proclivities of the Texas Supreme Court: If you are a billion-dollar company represented by one of nine elite law firms, you are 5.4 times more likely to win some or all of what you seek from the justices.
The biggest advantage, Abraham’s team found, is that certain high-powered firms — the ones pouring money into Supreme Court campaign coffers — are simply more likely to get their cases heard at the discretionary court. And once they’re in the door, they are more likely to win.
Abraham is hardly the first to draw a statistical link between campaign contributions and court decisions. The Texas Supreme Court, whether dominated by Republicans or Democrats, has fended off such suspicions for decades.
But Abraham believes numbers speak volumes, and his team’s statistical findings have persuaded him to join the former judges and good-government types calling for change. As a wealthy Republican donor, he figures his voice will carry a bit. His timing is good: A new legislative commission will spend this year studying the issue. Abraham has already met with the governor more than once. This week, he published his data with great fanfare, and a documentary is set for release later this year.
https://www.texastribune.org/2020/02/24/wealthy-panhandle-financier-wants-change-way-texas-elects-judges/
