Harkin says Bush Administration has surrendered to big tobacco

Iowa Senator Tom Harkin says he’s “disgusted” with action Wednesday by the U-S Justice Department to, in Harkin’s words, “surrender to big tobacco.” Harkin’s calling for an Inspector General to investigate that decision. For six years, taxpayer dollars have been invested in pursuing the public’s case against cigarette makers but Harkin says “at the 11th hour, it appears a political order was issued from on high in an attempt to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.” Prosecutors had been seeking $130-BILLION in penalties to fund smoking cessation programs. Harkin says it was “blown out of the water” when the lawyers announced they would only seek $10-BILLION for those quit-smoking programs “to help victims of the industry’s conduct.” That’s eight-percent of the expected amount. Harkin says had the federal attorneys just pressed their case, they would’ve won and would’ve collected — big. After eight months of courtroom litigation that the government was almost certain to win, Harkin says the Justice Department simply “up and threw in the towel.” He says they “put the tobacco companies’ financial interest ahead of the health interests of hundreds of thousands of Americans hooked on this deadly drug.” Harkin, a Democrat, questions the wisdom and origin of such orders to give up the fight. Harkin suggests it may have something to do with “massive” campaign contributions by tobacco companies, quoting a USA Today story that says big tobacco spent 54-MILLION dollars since 1990 on campaign contributions. Former Attorney General John Ashcroft tried to settle the tobacco suit four years ago, Harkin says, until public outcry forced Ashcroft to stay the course. “The administration needs to explain their sudden change in course,” Harkin says. “This case should be based on the facts and the expert testimony of its own witness, not political payback.”