Story at the Madison Record. (h/t: How Appealing) Excerpts:
Illinois Supreme Court Justice Lloyd Karmeier took a rare step last week when he rejected a request to recuse himself from the court’s review of the long running legal battle over “light” cigarette labeling — he explained why.
In a 16-page order filed Wednesday, the same day the court announced it would again hear arguments in Sharon Price v. Philip Morris, Karmeier discussed the reasoning behind his refusal and addressed the plaintiffs’ allegations he voted to overturn the $10.1 billion verdict against the tobacco company in 2005, the year after it funneled donations to his campaign for the high court.
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In regards to the plaintiffs’ allegation the cigarette maker “was responsible for ‘bankrolling’ my election to this office 10 years ago,” Karmeier said campaign records show his 2004 campaign “received no money whatever from [Philip Morris], its affiliates, or any of its employees.”
While they tried to link Philip Morris to the political action committees of the Illinois Chamber, the Chicagoland Chamber and Illinois Civil Justice League’s JUSTPAC, Karmeier contends the records just don’t support the plaintiffs’ claims.
“According to the materials presented in connection with this matter, neither movant nor any of its affiliates contributed any money to either JUSTPAC or the Chicagoland Chamber PAC in 2003 or 2004,” the order states. “In 2004, Altria Corporate Services, an affiliate of respondent, apparently did contribute $20,000 to the Illinois Chamber PAC.”
Even if Illinois Chamber PAC’s donated the entire $20,000 to his campaign, Karmeier said he wouldn’t have known about it and it would have represented “only 0.4 percent of the total $4.8 million raised in support of my campaign.”