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Article: Behind the Justice Department's Shift on Tobacco
- Article from:
- The Washington Post
- Article date:
- June 15, 2005
CopyrightThis material is published under license from the Washington Post. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Washington Post. (Hide copyright information)
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A June 10 editorial said that the Justice Department's decision to
reduce from $130 billion to $10 billion the amount it sought from the
major tobacco companies in its fraud case "appears to be the result
of political pressure." It also came to the offensive and unfounded
conclusion that the change was not based on the "legal merits" of the
case as assessed by "career lawyers."
I am a senior member of the Justice Department section involved
with enforcement of racketeering laws. In 1998 the office of
Attorney General Janet Reno asked whether it would be appropriate to
bring civil racketeering claims against the tobacco industry for
defrauding the public. I recommended that such a lawsuit ...