PROMISED DOCUMENT DISCLOSURE CONSIDERED A PLOY [01/30-5]

Just as the Minnesota medicaid trial begins and the first of former secret tobacco industry documents are released as part of that lawsuit, the tobacco industry offers to release millions of those document which are already expected to be unveiled as the trial progresses. Under the circumstances, it is not surprising that the offer is seen as a public relations ploy.

According to the New York Times," Hubert Humphrey 3d, the Attorney General of Minnesota, suggested that Mr. Bible's offer, which was made in consultation with top industry officials, was little more than a public-relations ploy because the documents at issue are already being released as part of the Minnesota lawsuit, which began last week. Mr. Humphrey said that the industry is still seeking to block disclosure of tens of thousands of other documents that the companies claim are protected by the attorney-client privilege."

"The fact is that the industry had given up nothing," Mr. Humphrey said in a statement. "They have only agreed to release the documents that we have already started to expose at trial."

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