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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.



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Maine Alliance    

(aka Maine Alliance for Tort Reform)

An alliance of businesses interested in reducing taxes and in tort reform which was put together by tobacco industry lawyer/lobbyist Severin Beliveau. It appears to have also been known as the Maine Alliance for Tort Reform

This organisation appears to have been wider in scope than most of the tort-reform coalitions. See the general group of tort-coalitions listed at the Alliance for Civil Justice Reform

The tort reform coalitions under the American Tort Reform Association (ATRA) created numerous state CALA's (Citizen's Against Lawsuit Abuse) organisations and also various state "Alliance for Civil Justice Reform" groups [See Alliance for Civil Justice Reform]


    The Maine Alliance appears to have been wider than most tort-reform alliance. It was a general business lobbying front group founded by Severin Beliveau, a Tobacco Institute political lobbyist in Maine. It appears to be run on behalf of a wider range of businesses who share an interest in tort reform, and in reducing sales taxes. It may have just changed its name to match the specific projects it was engaged in (mostly with the Chamber of Commerce & Industry).

1988: Severin Beliveau's C/V shows that he founded the Maine Alliance. This document from the tobacco archives deals with Tort Reform:

The Maine Alliance for Tort Reform is headed by the Maine Chamber of Commerce & Industry and the insurance industry. The organisations work closely together.

    The Alliance was not successful in its 1988 tort reform efforts* According to the TI lobbyist, the Alliance would not be an effective group for pushing comprehensive product liability legislation. Tort reform is considered a dead issue for the foreseeable future. The "liability crisis" is considered "over" by the legislature. In addition, the trial lawyers are highly visible and well-represented in the legislature.


    The Maine Alliance is also listed as a lobbying ally in this 1994 Philip Morris document. See Page 19

1995 Feb 23: The Tobacco Institute and its member companies are utilizing the Maine Chamber of Commerce & Industry and its associate organisation, the Maine Alliance.

    They are putting together a coalition to attack the "Florida-style Medicade legislation" Keith Teel of Covington & Burling (tobacco industry lawyers) has done "an excellent job".

I think the group has a mandate at this point to go forward to and talk with Legislators about the fundamental unfairness of this piece of legislation. I think everyone agreed it is not so much a tobacco issue as it is an issue having to do with fairness; business and economic development and constitutional issues roughly in that order of priority.

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CONTRIBUTORS:hrh2 samf LR13


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