TX: Election lawsuit expanded to include insurance companies

[rainbow4321]

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sharedcontent/APStories/stories/D8C31U700.html


Several corporate donors, most of them insurance companies, are now defendants in a civil lawsuit filed by three losing Democratic legislative candidates in connection with funding of their opponents' campaigns, which also is under investigation by a grand jury.

The Democrats' lawyer, Buck Wood of Austin, added eight corporations Thursday to the suit against Texas Association of Business, a trade group that spent about $1.7 million of corporate money on ads that touted Republicans and criticized Democrats.

The eight corporations added are AT&T Corp., Great-West Life & Annuity Insurance Co., Ace American Insurance Co., Aetna Inc., Connecticut General Life Insurance Co., United Healthcare of Texas, Cigna Healthcare of Texas Inc. and America's Health Insurance Plans. More corporations might be added as defendants, Wood said


The contributions were made when the insurance industry was under fire from the public and state officials. Rates for homeowners insurance were climbing, insurers were threatening to leave the state, and doctors and hospital officials were complaining about the high costs of malpractice insurance.