Tribpedia: Steve Mostyn

Tribpedia

Steve Mostyn is a Houston-based lawyer and president of the Texas Trial Lawyers Association who became the largest political donor to Texas Democrats during the 2010 gubernatorial campaign cycle. He and his wife, Amber Anderson, pledged to give at least $3 million toward the goal of defeating Gov. Rick Perry and Republican candidates for the Legislature. In the first half ...

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In Texas, Trial Lawyers Sink Money Into GOP Races

Enlarge graphic by: Todd Wiseman

If the 2012 primaries are any guide, the plaintiffs’ bar is becoming less shy about investing in the Republican side of the ballot — and Republican candidates are not being bashful about accepting the money. The jury is still out on whether the stigma about trial lawyers is fading for Republican voters.

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TribWeek: Top Texas News for the Week of 12/27/10

Galbraith on why the Lege meets only every two years, Hu picks the year's best political moments on video, Ramsey on the personalities who mattered in 2010, Stiles on lobbyists with conflicts of interest and what the census means for redistricting, yours truly on the new Cameron Todd Willingham documentary, Grissom on cockfighting and Trillin on Sissy Farenthold: The best of our best from Dec. 23 to 27, 2010.

Enlarge photo illustration by: Todd Wiseman

Political Faces of 2010

2010 didn't turn out like it looked a year ago. Unexpected people showed up. The political environment bloomed red instead of blue. The Tea was strong. And big shots turned into paper tigers. Here are some of the political personalities who mattered.

Enlarge photo illustration by: Bob Daemmrich

White and Perry Make Their Closing Arguments

On the final weekend of the gubernatorial campaign, Gov. Rick Perry was in Midland — exactly where he was on the final weekend of the Republican primary — pushing the same anti-Washington message that has kept him comfortably ahead in the polls for most of 2010. "Make no mistake," he told the assembled crowd, "this is a national election." His Democratic challenger, Bill White, was in a leafy Houston neighborhood, knocking on doors, energizing volunteers and insisting that the pundits and promulgators of conventional wisdom are dead wrong. "We have broad support," White insisted. "We are in a position to win this race."

Enlarge photo by: Randal Ford

Prolific Donor Has Given $66 Million Since 2000

Over the last decade, two Republicans with the last name Perry have dominated the Texas political landscape. One is Rick, the state’s longest-serving governor. The other is Bob (no relation), the state’s largest individual political donor during that time — with no close second. Since 2000, the wealthy Houston home builder has contributed about $28 million to more than 400 candidates and political action committees in Texas, according to an analysis of campaign-finance data by The Texas Tribune. During that time, he's also contributed at least $38 million more to candidates and groups outside of Texas.

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UT/TT Poll: Perry 50, White 40, Glass 8, Shafto 2

Republican Gov. Rick Perry leads his Democratic challenger, Bill White by 10 points — 50 percent to 40 percent — in the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll. Libertarian Kathie Glass has the support of 8 percent of respondents; Deb Shafto of the Green Party gets 2 percent. In the last UT/TT poll, conducted in early September, Perry led by 6 points, 39 percent to 33 percent. In a red state in a red year, GOP incumbents in other statewide races are beating their Democratic opponents by between 13 points and 20 points, the new poll found.

Enlarge photo illustration by: Todd Wiseman

TribWeek: Top Texas News for the Week of Sept. 27, 2010

Thevenot on the fastest-growing charter school chain in Texas, Hu on the continuing legal fights between tort reformers and trial lawyers over the state's windstorm insurance pool, Hamilton on the push for accountability in Texas colleges, Philpott on legislative skirmishing over federal education funds, Grissom on misdemeanor convicts choosing jail time instead of probation that's more expensive for them but cheaper for the state, M. Smith on Bill Flores' challenge in what's billed as the hottest congressional race in the country, Ramshaw looks at scandals that have put some otherwise safe statehouse incumbents in deep electoral trouble, yours truly on the closest and ugliest race on the statewide ballot and Galbraith and Titus on pollution from idling vehicles and why it's so hard to control: The best of our best from September 27 to October 1, 2010.

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Judge Grants New Order Keeping Attorneys Fees Private

In an issue that's sparked a nasty political fight, attorneys for the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association and attorneys for the homeowners who sued them appeared at a Monday hearing to argue whether the legal fees in a record $189 million Hurricane Ike settlement should be kept private. Judge Susan Criss ultimately sided with homeowners' attorney Steve Mostyn and granted a new temporary restraining order that keeps TWIA from releasing settlement details, at least for now.
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Steve Mostyn Confronts Joe Nixon in Galveston Courtroom

Decorum broke down on Monday before a hearing began in Galveston County Court concerning a case involving plaintiffs' attorney Steve Mostyn, the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA), and state Rep. Larry Taylor, R-Friendswood. Mostyn — one of the state's leading trial lawyers and Democratic donors — confronts Taylor's attorney, Joe Nixon, who in his former life as a legislator authored a 2003 tort reform bill limiting lawsuit damages. Mostyn berates Nixon about how he offered his services unsolicited to Taylor, who has sought to make public the fees earned by Mostyn and other lawyers who sued TWIA. Mostyn compares it to oft-criticized client recruitment by plaintiffs' lawyers (ambulance chasing, in other words).
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TribWeek: Top Texas News for the Week of 9/6/10

Galbraith's three-parter on the battle over wind power transmission lines, Grissom on a convicted killer who got probation, Aguilar on how the U.S. census counts inmates in the Texas prison system, Stiles launches a new interactive tool tracking the candidates for governor, Hamilton on the Texas A&M University System's latest accountability measure for faculty, Hu's interview with Democratic megadonor Steve "Back to Basics" Mostyn, Philpott on how the Texas economy compares to that of other states and Ramsey on the start of the 2010 election sprint: The best of our best from Sept. 6 to 10, 2010.

Steve Mostyn and state Rep. Larry Taylor, R-Friendswood.
Enlarge photo by: Justin Dehn/House Photo
Steve Mostyn and state Rep. Larry Taylor, R-Friendswood.

Lawmaker Questions Lawyer's Windstorm Settlement

The co-chair of the House Committee on Insurance, state Rep. Larry Taylor, R-Friendswood, is asking the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association for details on a massive settlement paid out to 2,400 homeowners and their lawyer, Steve Mostyn. Mostyn, a prolific Democratic donor, says Taylor is targeting him for political reasons.