Tobacco Firms Attack Government Suit
Tuesday, December 28th, 1999 Liability LitigationThe nation‘s major tobacco companies yesterday asked a federal judge to dismiss the Clinton Administration‘s lawsuit, arguing that the government has no legal basis to sue and is attempting to ignore the force and scope of the historic settlement with the states, Philip Morris said. The Justice Department is asking the court for extensive equitable relief -- injunctions against an incredible range of industry conduct, but the department never once tells the court in its lawsuit that such injunctions and restrictions are already in place. The tobacco industry of today says it is different from the one portrayed in the government‘s lawsuit. The settlements with the states in 1997 and 1998 established a comprehensive regulatory framework that the Justice Department is simply ignoring, they note.
