From the Dan Greear campaign:

Charleston, WV – Calling it the “clearest case of quid pro quo” to date, Attorney General Candidate Dan Greear demanded Darrell McGraw return tens of thousands of dollars in donations he received from lawyers awarded no-bid contingency fee contracts.

“It’s a disgusting practice,” Greear said.  “Darrell McGraw awards secret, no-bid contingency fee contracts to lawyers and receives campaign contributions in return.  The clearest case of this quid pro quo is the Atlanta Law Firm of Cook, Hall, and Lampros.  Why would an Atlanta law firm pony up $10,000 in contributions if it isn’t a giveback of the taxpayer money McGraw secretly awarded them?”

Greear outraised McGraw during the current reporting period, $77,507 to $55,520.  More than 95% of Greear for AG contributions came from in-state contributors.

Read the Rest of the release after the jump…

 “Darrell should return this tainted money. He is naming his trial lawyer friends as special assistant Attorneys General, awarding them secret, no-bid multi-million dollar contracts, and clearly expecting them to contribute to his campaign.  If Darrell isn’t demanding these contributions for the awarding of secret, no-bid multi-million dollar contracts, then he should remove the clear impropriety and return the contributions.”

Greear pointed out more than $17,000 of the $55,520 McGraw raised during the period was directly from lawyers McGraw awarded taxpayer money through no-bid, secret contracts.

Of the $55,520 raised during this period, $10,000 was from the Atlanta firm of Cook, Hall, and Lampros.  More than $7,000 in this period alone came from other lawyers awarded no-bid contracts.  Another $16,000 came from trial lawyers who could potentially benefit from future no-bid contracts.  All told, $33,000 of the $55,520 raised came directly from lawyers who have already cashed in on the secret contracts and those who could potentially benefit from the awarding of no-bid contingency fee contracts.

Greear said he is proud of his contributor base.  “We have raised money from ordinary West Virginians.  Darrell has raised money from law firms looking to cash-in on a payday of taxpayer loot.  Our fundraising total, which is more than any other Republican AG candidate has ever raised, has shown our strong appeal across the state.  We will continue our message of a Proven Leader who can bring Positive Change and hope the people of our state see that Darrell’s improprieties must end.”