Tobacco Documents Online

prevent him from disclosing confidential information about the company. And last month R.J. Reynolds, characterizing Dr. Colucci as a "disgruntled e_x-emUloyee," sued to stop him from revealing secrets it says he signeda p?eage to keep. Dr. COLUCCI: What they're going to simply say is, "He's a lunatic. He's crazy. He has an axe to grind." Take an ad hominem approach, just destroy my credibility. _ DONALDSON: [voice-over] R.J. Reynolds is charging that Colucci has threatened the company by asking for a "consulting arrangement" which would pay him "$5 million in fees over a 10-year period" in exchange for his silence. Colucci acknowledges his attorney talked to Reynolds about a new consulting contract. He says he was willing to go back to work for them if they would come clean about their product, but he denies he threatened anyone. When Reynolds' lawyers asked Colucci about these employment overtures, he invoked the 5th Amendment and refused to answer, telling PrimeTime he did that because he now fears the company will attempt to bring criminal charges against him. Dr. COLUCCI: I'm not some loony that's running around trying to knock down the tobacco industry. I'm just a scientist who finally got sick and tired of it. I'm just tired of it. I want to hear the truth. DONALDSON: As we said, the tobacco industry has never lost a court case, and that includes civil suits where the allegation of an industry-wide conspiracy was advanced. But the issue is not dead. The U.S. attorney in Brooklyn is reportedly investigating whether to bring criminal fraud charges against the companies. Incidentally, we know how tough it is for someone to'quit smoking. Even the most well-informed have trouble doing it. We sympathize with them. For instance, Dr. Colucci, the man you've seen tonight repeatedly describing the risks, has smoked for 30 years, and he still does.