In TV Ad, Davis Says Abbott Sided Against Malpractice Victims

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Wendy Davis has released a new ad accusing Republican rival Greg Abbott of siding with a hospital over the victims of a "sociopath" doctor.

The Davis ad, echoing earlier attacks against Abbott for allegedly protecting "insider" networks, points to political donations to the Republican from Drayton McLane, chairman of the network of hospitals that included Baylor Regional Medical Center, where the doctor, Christopher Duntsch, worked. Two of his patients died after he performed neurosurgery on them.

“Weeks after accepting a quarter-million dollar campaign contribution from the hospital’s chairman, Greg Abbott got involved, using his office to go to court against the victims,” according to the ad's voiceover.

Abbott's campaign said the ad was inaccurate, contending that McLane, whose position was unpaid, had no financial interest in Baylor Regional. And the attorney general's role in the lawsuit, his office has said, was to defend the state's medical malpractice law, not to protect the hospital.

“At the rate Sen. Davis is going this week, not only will she exhaust the fact checkers, she won’t have any lies left for Friday’s debate,” said Abbott spokeswoman Amelia Chassé.

Disclosure: The Baylor Health Care System is a corporate sponsor of The Texas Tribune. A complete list of Texas Tribune donors and sponsors can be viewed here.