A groundbreaking report has uncovered a “Shady Lawyer Pipeline,” involving eight consumer protection law firms allegedly engaged in an alarming cycle of lucrative public contracts and political donations, funneling millions into Democratic campaigns. The report, released by the Alliance for Consumers (AFC), highlights the troubling arrangement, exposing a direct link between government contracts awarded by Democratic officials and massive donations subsequently made by the recipient firms to liberal candidates.
These findings specifically identify eight prominent law firms—Morgan & Morgan, Lieff Cabraser, Motley Rice, Baron & Budd, Grant & Eisenhofer, Berger Montague, Cohen Milstein, and Simmons Hanly—collectively labeled by the AFC as the “Shady Eight.” These firms secured highly profitable public contracts nationwide, directing roughly $25 million into political coffers from 2017 through 2024, including $1.4 million to the Harris-Walz campaign noted in the AFC Report.
The report reveals that the firms contributed $4 million to political campaigns in 2024, with an overwhelming 99% of donations supporting Democratic candidates or committees. According to the AFC, the sharply partisan pattern of giving raises concerns that taxpayer dollars are being misdirected to support a political agenda rather than to protect consumers.
Beyond the presidential campaign, the firms also targeted key Senate races, channeling significant funds to influential Democrats. Noting as much, the report said, “Midterm Senate races were also a priority for the Shady Eight. Besides the support going to Vice President Harris, the top candidates receiving monetary support from the Shady Eight were all Democratic Senate candidates: Ruben Gallego (D–AZ), Sherrod Brown (D–OH), Bob Casey (D–PA), and Jon Tester (D–MT).”
Analyzing donation records further, the report found that five firms stood out above the rest: Lieff Cabraser, Motley Rice, Grant & Eisenhofer, Simmons Hanly, and Baron & Budd each directed 100% of their 2024 federal contributions to Democrats, totaling approximately $2.5 million. The AFC claims this turns consumers into pawns in a left-wing political money game.
O.H. Skinner, executive director of the AFC, emphasized the urgent need to dismantle the “Shady Trial Lawyer Pipeline,” arguing that it compromises the integrity of consumer protection. Skinner stated on Fox News Digital, “The contracts that states have with these firms make some sense if the goal is funding left-wing political campaigns, but, for many reasons, they are exactly the wrong way to protect consumers.”
Expanding on his concern, Skinner added that the law firms are undermining the rule of law. He said, “This shows how left-wing trial lawyers have turned consumer protection efforts into a political game… Ending the Shady Trial Lawyer Pipeline is one of the strongest steps public officials can take to protect consumers and the rule of law.”
"*" indicates required fields
The AFC report also addressed the broader implications, stating, “The ‘Shady Eight’ are stark examples—although far from the only ones—of how the Shady Trial Lawyer Pipeline works, with politicians feeding sweetheart contracts to trial lawyers who give 99% of their political donations to liberals and will happily turn around and pump millions of dollars into left-leaning candidates, committees, and allied organizations.”
Concluding its findings, the AFC remarked on the misplaced priorities of the Shady Eight, adding that funding multiple left-wing political campaigns does nothing to benefit taxpayers. The report concluded, “These types of contracts make some sense if the goal is to fund left-wing campaigns—as the political activities of the Shady Eight demonstrate—but they make no sense if your goal is to help consumers and protect taxpayers.”