USA

WARNING: This site deals only with the corporate corruption of science, and makes no inference about the motives or activities of individuals involved.
    There are many reasons why individuals become embroiled in corporate corruption activities - from political zealotry to over-enthusiastic activism; from gullibility to greed.
    Please read the OVERVIEW carefully, and make up your own mind.

Los Angeles PR and political strategy company which worked in California for RJ Reynolds from August 1957.

1957: Oct. [First document in archives] Report from the "Tobacco Information Committee" which was supported by Reynolds, Philip Morris and Lorillard, says that Mr Campbell of Braun & Company had been representing Reynolds for about two months. The company was LA-based, but had offices in New York (supporting Merrill Lynch brokers) and was opening another in Winston-Salem.

    It was handling two booklets printed by the industry:

• "Science Looks at Smoking" (17,000 casebound copies, 320,000 paperbound copies — possible $130,000 advertising campaign)
• "Tobacco and Health" - planned as a bi-monthly publication going to most medical doctors in USA and Canada.

1959 Dec 18: Bowman Gray (CEO of RJ Reynolds) memo to Ted Braun of the LA PR firm Braun & Company. He writes:

I have just heard from Carl Thompson that the Pete Little letter to Burney was sent only to Burney and no copies have been delivered, not even to the AMA Journal. Apparently the advice was to let the Journal rest a little bit because of their fine editorial.

    You may be hearing that they did not see the letter, and this will explain it. It may well be that a copy of the letter will later go to JAMA, but apparently not now.

    I hope this doesn't mess up anything you have been working on.

1970 Nov 10: TW Braun of Brawn & Company (Los Angeles) are advising RJ Reynolds about a new "operation called 'The Project on Corporate Responsibility' It's parent organizations are 'The Center for Law and Social Policy' and 'The Washington Research Project', both of Washington DC."

    They had apparently been using stockholder proxies against Eastman Kodak and backing civil rights in Rochester, New York, and [shame ... shame] " the Medical Committee for Human Rights in its effor through proxy materials to force Dow Chemical to cease manufacturing napalm."

    The real humor here comes from the fact that the Medical Committee had retained the tobacco industry's favourite law firm, Covington & Burling, to represent it in its Dow battle. The writer is afraid that the same tactics might be used against the tobacco company. Braun sums up the situation:

I'm recommending to you that we undertake preparation quietly and confidentially of a program for meeting an action of the kind I have described. The program should include both legal and public relations plans and materials. If you agree, let me know and we can arrange a mutually agreeable time for a meeting in Winston-Salem to get the project underway.

[Note there are about 219 documents in the archives which turn up on a Braun search]
    These staff names turn up in the archives: TW Braun, Campbell, Jack Venneman, Merle McGuinnis, John Grimaldi, Lawrence W Fisher (President) Judy Miller (VP), James Harris (Dir of Media Relations)

1977 March 24: They are commissioning transcripts of radio programs on smoking and health and sending the material to RJR.

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1983: Braun & Co was still working for Reynolds and passing on information about anti-smoking organisations. Lawrence W Fisher was President

I wanted to pass on to you the enclosed summary of the minutes of a recent meeting of the Southern California Air Quality Management District. This is our air pollution control organization for all of Southern California.

    You will notice that they are planning to make a study of the effects of second-hand smoke with a view toward the possible endorsement of ordinances such as the one recently introduced in Los Angeles that would restrict smoking in the workplace.

1984 Nov 1: RJR Weekly Activities report says

New York Media Tour: Bob [Moore] met with Braun & Company officials Monday to discuss media tour for the 1984 Winston Cup champion. We are looking into the possibility of having the champion do a national endorsement for the benefit of using safety belts with Elizabeth Dole, Secretary of Transportation.

    Bob later produced bios on Terry Labonte and Harry Gant [racing card drivers] for use by Braun and Company and provided them with a list of outlets to try and line up.

1985 July 25: A legal deposition of William Kloepfer, PR head of the Tobacco Institute suggests that Ted Braun was advising Reynolds on the scandalous AMA/ERF project which enlisted the American Medical Association in support of the tobacco industry's pretend research. [Deposition for the Cipollone Case]

• Deponent recalls Dr. Howard, who was the executive director of the AMA.
• Ted Braun was the head of a public relations agency; deponent does not know if he is still alive. Deponent's last contact with Mr. Braun was "many years ago." '
• Mr. Braun's California company, Ted Braun & Company, was a consultant to RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company.
• Deponent does not recall Mr Braun recommending that deponent meet with Dr. Howard and Fred Campion, regarding, the AMA/ERF program.
• Deponent does not recall meeting with Dr. Howard concerning the AMA/ERF program.

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