The $350,000 that Richie Ray recently gave to Abbott transformed a relatively obscure compounding pharmacist into one of the top funders of Texas' gubernatorial race.
Abbott has been deeply involved in two controversies surrounding Ray's lightly regulated industry. The attorney general wields enforcement powers over compounders who supplied patients with fatally infected drugs. Meanwhile, different divisions of Abbott's office have taken conflicting positions on whether or not Texas must identify compounders who supply pentobarbital for state executions.
Lobby Watch explores the new big donor compounding Abbott's drug problems.