Some of the documents obtained by Knight-Ridder apparently are in the hands of Minnesota lawyers, but they have not been made public because of a secrecy order imposed by a St. Paul judge. Five boxes of documents that Liggett formerly claimed were privileged attorney-client communications have been turned over to Ramsey County District Judge Kenneth Fitzpatrick. Liggett dropped its privilege claim, but other tobacco companies want some of those documents to remain secret. The judge is expected to hear arguments on that issue on April 15. In return for the documents, the attorneys general let Liggett, the smallest of the five major tobacco companies, off the hook in their lawsuits aimed at recovering health costs.
Officials believe the documents reflect industry practice.
The attorneys general say that the documents will prove the industry conspired to manipulate the level of nicotine in cigarettes to keep smokers addicted, and committed fraud by lying to Congress about smoking's dangers. The Liggett documents examined contradict longtime industry claims that smoking is not addictive and does not lead to disease. In its settlement with the attorneys general, Liggett for the first time said those claims were not true. The 1963 document also explains why much tobacco advertising is focused on young smokers. The documents also provide a glimpse at how the company marketed to various ethnic and religious groups and its different strategies to reach men and women.