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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.

OPINION ONLY

Severin Beliveau and his law-firms made a forty year career out of lobbying for the tobacco industry in the Maine legislature — mostly the Legislative Council. Clearly he did not work exclusively for the industry, but lobbied for a wide range of corporate interests.

His value to the tobacco industry derived from his position in the state Democratic party and from his friendship with Maine's Governor and many of its top politicians.

Most of Believeau's reports to the Tobacco Institute have been culled (he would have been required to report monthly, at least), but a few traces survive — enough to show that he had considerable influence in both of the State houses, and was successful at blocking a substantial part of Maine's anti-smoking legislation over many decades.

He is married to Cynthia Murray-Beliveau (also from a Maine political family), and his son Emmett, a lobbyist with Patton Boggs, worked for Barack Obama in 2008 and joined the White House as Director of Advance in January 2009.

A search on the variations of the Severin M Beliveau name in the tobacco archives reveals 2,351 documents, while a Search on Beliveau-only selected 3,478 documents. Only 35 or so of these thousands of documents list him as the author [au:Beliveau] which means that he didn't put anything of significance down on paper. Google turns up 22,400 references for him.

LOBBYIST PUFF PIECE

Severin M. Beliveau, one of Maine's best known attorneys, has significant experience in legislative and regulatory issues. He is a founding member and senior partner of Preti, Flaherty, Beliveau & Pachios and directs the firm's legislative and regulatory practice in Augusta and Washington, DC. Mr. Bellveau's work also involves public policy issues, environmental projects and international trade. Mr. Beliveau's private practice experience as a legal generalist, along with his work in public practice, the Maine Legislature and the U.S. Congress, make him uniquely qualified as a litigator concentrating in regulatory law and project development. His comprehensive understanding of every financing and regulatory agency in Maine allows him to employ creative, non-traditional legal solutions to problems by effecting a change in the law as an alternative to litigation. Throughout his career, Mr. Beliveau has been a leader in national and intemational organizations, giving him perspectives that go well beyond state boundaries. As a former director of the bi-partisan American Council of Young Political Leaders, he helped promote cultural and political exchange programs among NATO countries and Eastern Europe. His work took him to Moscow, Leningrad, Riga and Tbilisi, in the former Soviet Union. He also served on political leadership committees dealing with U.S: Canadian relations, European security, the environment and technological change. Mr. Beliveau is a former State senator and State representative, and was chairman of the Democratic State Committee. During his last two years as chairman, he was a member of the Executive Committee of the Democratic National Committee. He is a former member of the Commission on Maine's Future, former director...[unknown] Also listed at the company site is: "Throughout his career, Severin has been a leader in national and international organizations, giving him perspectives that transcend state boundaries. As a former director of the bipartisan American Council of Young Political Leaders, he helped promote cultural and political exchange programs among NATO countries and Eastern Europe. His work took him to Moscow, Leningrad, Riga and Tbilisi in the former Soviet Union. He also served on political leadership committees dealing with U.S.-Canadian relations, European security, the environment and technological change. Recipient of the French Legion of Honor Award, the highest distinction France awards civilians, for his leadership on key projects to improve the relationship between Maine and France. (2008) President of the American Association of the Forum Francophone des Affaires, the Maine-based United States chapter of a worldwide alliance of 36 French-speaking nations working to promote economic development through business, industry and technology exchanges. French Consular Agent for the State of Maine. Selected by his peers for inclusion in Woodward/White's The Best Lawyers in America. Distinguished Professor of Franco American Studies at University of Maine. Admissions Maine; U.S. District Court, District of Maine; U.S. Supreme Court Civic Involvement Former member of the Maine House of Representatives Former member of the Maine State Senate Former chair of the Maine Democratic Party Former member, Democratic National Committee President, Governor John E. Baldacci's 2007 Transition and Inaugural Committee Former member of the Commission on Maine's Future Former director of Medical Care Development Inc. Former trustee of the University of Maine Founder of the Maine Alliance, a group of several hundred businesses that monitor public policy on environmental regulation and economic development. The group today is part of the Maine Chamber and Business Alliance. Former president of the Samantha Smith Foundation Former member of the Board of Governors of both the Maine State Bar Association and the Maine Trial Lawyers Association. sbelivequ@preti.com

Severin M. Beliveau was born and raised in the French-Catholic town of Rumford, Maine to Margaret (McCarthy) and Albert Beliveau, Sr. He grew up in an activist Democrat family in the 1950s and 1960s, and witnessed the rise of the Democratic Party in Maine. Both his father and grandfather were judges.

    He attended Georgetown University, His father was on the Maine superior court, then the Supreme Court. And the family were close friends and supporters of another prominent Rumford lawyer, who was also an aspiring Democrat politician; Edmund Muskie.

1954: Muskie became Governor of Maine but failed to appoint his father to the position of Chief Justice on the State Supreme Court — causing a temporary fracture in the family relationships.

1956: Severin graduated from St John's Prep school. Muskie helped him find part-time work as a Campus cop, while at Georgetown University.

1958: Muskie elected to the Federal Senate

1963: graduated from Georgetown Law School, and practiced for a brief time in Rumford with his father and his brother, Albert Beliveau, Jr

The privileged, prep-school-educated son of Maine's first Franco-American Supreme Judicial Court justice, was elected Oxford County prosecutor a matter of months out of Georgetown Law School.

1964: Began to focus on politics.

1965 /E: Became chairmanship of the Maine Democratic Party, with Muskie's help. Became district attorney-general.

1966: Elected to the Maine Legislature.

1966 Apr 18: Family and political friend, Senator Edmund Muskie notes that Maine has an unusually gifted family in public service, the Beliveaus of Rumford, and inserts into the Senate record two articles, one about Maine Supreme Court Justice Beliveau's 80th birthday and another about Severin Beliveau's election to the legislature. [Judge Beliveau to Observe 80th Birthday, and Severin Beliveau Shows Promise for Democrats, both from Portland Telegram]

1968: Beliveau was elected Chairman of the Democratic Party. He was also working with Muskie, trying to get Hubert Humphrey to take Muskie as running mate in the presidential election. Succeeded, but then Humphrey and Muskie lost to Nixon and Agnew in November.

1972: Supports the campaign of Muskie in his run for president. Defeated in the primaries by McGovern. Muskie was partly defeated by the "Canuck letter" which claimed that Muskie had made disparaging remarks about French-Canadians (Rumford was a French-American town). Watergate evidence is that this letter was forged by one of the Nixon dirty-tricks campaign groups.

1974 Apr 2: Beliveau & Beliveau attorneys [both Albert and Severin Beliveau] are reporting on their lobbying activities "on behalf of the Maine Tobacco Distributors Association," detailing the legislation they claim to have influenced. He concludes his report with:

I strongly suggest that you revitalize and reactivate the Association in order to prepare your legislative program well in advance of the convening of the next session in January, 1975.

1975 Feb 5: Tobacco Institute list of state "consultants" shows him as a lobbyist for Maine.

1975 May 5: An RJ Reynold's memo on a Maine Tax Bill notes that he is a "TTC Lobbyist." [Tobacco Tax Council]

1976 Mar 14: The Maine Sunday Telegram lists him as a "lobbyist for cigarette interests [who] has served in the legislature and has been chairman of the state Democratic party." He was circulating material opposing a tax on cigarettes.

1976 Oct 6: The Tobacco Tax Council is holding a "National Lobbyists' Meeting" at the Hyatt Regency, O'Hare in Chicago, Nov 16-17 followed by a seminar on Tobacco Institute problems on the 18th. He is requested to attend.

1976 Oct 28: Senator Edmund S Muskie is transmitting something to the Tobacco Institute by way of Severin Believeau. It is copied to Earle Clements.

1980: Muskie becomes Secretary of State with the Carter Administration. Caught up in the Iran hostages negotiations.

1981: He is now a full time lobbyist. The Maine Times picked Beliveau as one of the "10 most influential people in Maine."

1981 May 29: He has failed to get his friend Governor Joseph E Brennan to veto a bill requiring non-smoking signs, and writes to the Tobacco Institute:

"The only solace that can be extracted from this experience is that we can be certain that we have diffused the efforts of the Maine Lung Association, the Cancer Association et al from introducing legislation during the next several years.

1982: A later Tobacco Institute's budget document show that he was paid $39,000 for his lobbying work with the Legislative Council [He may also have received other payments].

1982 Mar 20: He is working with the Tobacco Institute on the Tobacco Action Network (TAN) in New Hampshire.

1983: A later Tobacco Institute's budget document show that he was paid $42,000 for his lobbying work with the Legislative Council [He may also have received other payments].

1983 May 23: The local Maine newspaper lists him as

"The 43 year old Augusta attorney repesents the Tobacco Institute, one of the largest and most powerful special interest groups in the country. [and says] Tobacco Institute lobbyist Severin Believeau [] a close friend of the governor, former state senator, and ex-Democratic state party chairman, has been called one of the 10 most influential people in Maine."

1983 Oct 5: Samuel Chilcote of the Tobacco Institute has had a delightful time on Senator Hollings' yacht. He passes on photos via Severin Beliveau, at the Augusta, Maine lawyers, Preti, Flaherty & Beliveau who apparently fronted for the tobacco industry in Maine (and also for Senator Hollings.)

1983 Dec 3: San Francisco has just banned workplace smoking and Believeu is

"currently engaged in a rather extensive lobbying program, making direct and frequent contacts with each of the ten members of the legislative counsel."

    'It will be at these meetings, or more precisely, at the discussions which occur before these meetings that the legislative counsel will come to a decision as to what course of action it should take on the proposed legislation to regulate smoking in the workplace."

    "At present Attorney Beliveau does not feel that it is necessary for us to develop any grass roots activities beyond those which have already been suggested and are in progress. "

1985: A later Tobacco Institute's budget document show that he was paid $45,000 for his lobbying work with the Legislative Council [He may also have received other payments].

1986 June: Lost the Democrat gubernatorial primary to Attorney-General Jim Tierney.

This loss occurred because Beliveau was too conservative for Maine Democrats of the period, and his already well established reputation as the Darth Vader of lobbyists, the representative of every wicked interest — cigarettes, booze, gambling, giant corporations — did not do him any good with liberals.

1986: Associated Press Political Services have compiled biographies on politicians in Maine. Their list also identifies available lobbyists (those with prior contacts) and it says that Severin Believeau "served together in state legislature with the Governor Joseph Brennan."

1987 Nov 23: He is being asked by Dyer at the TI to investigate whether Senator Mitchell is open to an approach to work on behalf of the tobacco industry.

1989: A 1990 Tobacco Institute's budget document show that he was paid $67,000 for his lobbying work with the Legislative Council [He may also have received other payments].

1992: He became the Honorary French Consular Agent for the State of Maine. [He was half French-American-Catholic and half Irish-Catholic]

1994 Aug 2: Severin Believau is being paid $65,000 pa by the Tobacco Institute for his Maine lobbying.

1996: (or 97) Brown & Williamson lists Severin Believeau as the company's staff Legislative Representative in Maine — in their Government Affairs State Division.
[This would have been B&W puffing up their staff numbers since he actually worked for the Tobacco Institute]

1996 Dec 9: The Tobacco Institute's 1997 State Activities Budget for Maine credits him with a figure of $70,000.

1997 Oct 26: Severin Believeau is receiving $72,500 per year from the Tobacco Institute for lobbying in Maine.

1999: He receives $72,500 a year for his tobacco activities.

2000: His son Emmett is now worked on Al Gore's presidential campaign.

2001 Apr 10: He is working for the "Tobacco Coalition" [which effectively is the old Philip Morris "Accommodation program" by another name] This fax has been passed on to Bernstein Shur, a Portland Maine law firm. There are numerous "Tobacco Coalitions", but this one is obviously the Tobacco Institute under another name.

2001 Oct 23: He is now working as a lobbyist for Lorillard. He writes requesting information to attack those lawyers who worked for the State Government in negotiating the tobacco settlement:

You will recall that I requested information on the amounts paid to Maine counsel for representing the State of Maine in its negotiations with respect to the Master Settlement Agreement. I strongly believe that if legislators knew that two Maine law firms received multi-million dollar payments for very little work it could be most helpful to us in our negotiations on legislative issues.

2003 Jan: Portland Phoenix report:

Beliveau tried to buy, for a team of investors, the state's wholesale liquor distribution franchise, which [Governor] Baldacci intends to privatize to help fill the budget shortfall.

    Beliveau offered terms that would have given the business to his clients in perpetuity, at a low price, and as a monopoly. As word leaked out about the offer, state officials concluded that the business had to be put out to bid, and that it would bring more money to state government if it were leased.

2003 June: Working to help the state's Indian tribes set up a $650-million casino in Sanford. Also with Governor Baldacci and for the biomedical industry on the $60-million state bond issue in the June 10 election [which] contained $20 million for biomedical research at the Jackson Laboratory of Bar Harbor and several other labs. [He represents the laboratories as a lobbyist]. The question's promoters, organized by Preti Flaherty, spending close to $300,000 in advertising [and] the bond issue, the third largest in the state's history, breezed to victory

2004: Son Emmett is now worked on John F Kerry's presidential campaign.

2006: In the governor's race this year, lawyers at Beliveau's firm, Preti Flaherty, gave $25,000 to [the new Governor] John Baldacci's campaign. One of their lobbying clients ...

"[Warren] Cook, the former vice president of government relations at The Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor , gave $1,000, the maximum, to Baldacci's first run for governor and helped lead his transition team in 2002. That year, Cook also gave the maximum to Baldacci's GOP opponent Peter Cianchette.

    Beliveau gave $1,000 to the last two Baldacci gubernatorial campaigns and a total of $4,500 to Baldacci congressional campaigns.

    In the 2006 governor's race, lawyers in Beliveau's firm, Preti Flaherty, gave $25,000 to Baldacci's campaign. Twenty attorneys in the firm, where Beliveau is listed as a founding partner who "directs the firm's Legislative and regulatory practices in Augusta and Washington, D.C.," gave the maximum of $1,000 each. Baldacci's total campaign contributions in 2006 were $1.3 million.

    Baldacci's Republican opponent in 2006 was Chandler Woodcock, whose campaign was publicly financed and who received only small contributions as seed money. None of those came from Beliveau or his law firm, according to state records.

    In 2002, records show Cianchette received a total of $1,100 from three Preti Flaherty attorneys. In contrast, the same records list more than 20 lawyers from the firm giving Baldacci's campaign $14,000.

    Only one Republican in either chamber voted for the governor's version of the bill: Sen. Peter Mills, R-Cornville, a candidate for governor who has a reputation as a moderate and policy expert.

    Like others, he was not surprised to see the governor side with a client represented by Beliveau.

    "He's extremely bright and very effective at making arguments," Mills said of Beliveau. "There's always some client willing to pay good money to have Severin appear ... and he's got good access to the governor."

Beliveau has been a key player in Maine politics going back to the 1970s. His status as the unofficial top Democrat in the state was perhaps best demonstrated in 2002 when a reception for President Bill Clinton before a speech in Augusta was held at Beliveau's stately home in Hallowell.

    On the subject of the tax exemptions, Beliveau said there was "nothing unusual in this — there's not a piece of legislation the governor doesn't play a role in ... you don't have a story here."

Portland Phoenix sums up

Legislators also are impressed with Beliveau's wealth. His diligence, connections, and shrewdness have made him quite rich. In addition to his substantial income from lobbying and legal fees, he is an Augusta-area real-estate tycoon. According to an off-the-record friend, he has done well in the stock market.     He lives in a beautiful, large, white, historic house next to Hallowell's Vaughn Woods where, last fall, he entertained former president Bill Clinton. He has a vacation home in Rangeley, and he drives a Mercedes. His firm's big office building overlooks — some would say dominates — the State House.     He is possibly John Baldacci's biggest campaign fundraiser. Bill Clinton was at his house last fall for a practical reason — a big-giver fundraising event for Baldacci and other Democratic candidates.

2008: The Maine State lobby register has him listed as working for the:

• Cigar Association of America,
• Maine Biomedical Resarch Coalition (Jackson Harbour),
• Maine Health Care Association
• Medco Health Solutions
• Shaller Anderson Inc [Health Care]

2008 May: Received the French Legion of Honor for consular services and "the
    Governor's successful trade mission to France in October 2005. Beliveau also heads the Forum Francophone des Affaires in Maine."

CONTRIBUTORS:rwm2 scsu JJHS