During his candidacy for the office of judge in Illinois, Karmeier managed to raise $4.8 million for his election campaign. This included a direct contribution of $350,000 from the State Farm Insurance group. Other affiliates of State Farm Insurance also paid for Karmeier's campaign. Around that time State Farm policyholders had won $1 billion against State Farm in "Avery v. State Farm", and had prevailed at the intermediate appellate court. The appeal against the damages and award was pending before the Illinois Supreme Court. When Karmeier was elected, the "St. Louis Post-Dispatch" newspaper published an editorial, "Big business won a nice return on a $4.3 million investment ... It now has a friendly justice". Despite opposition, Karmeier refused to dissociate himself from the case, and the appeal was decided in favor of State Farm Insurance by a majority of 4-2, with Karmeier in the majority. $600 million of punitive damages as well as the award of $457 million against State Farm were reversed. In 2018, State Farm agreed to pay a $250 million settlement in a class-action lawsuit claiming State Farm conspired to defraud 4.7 million current and former customers out of the $1.05 billion award.