A Department of Justice political appointee who once worked for a tobacco company pressured a witness in the tobacco industry case to change his testimony, The Washington Post reports.

Harvard University business professor Max H. Bazerman said he was told not to support the appointment of a court monitor with the power to remove tobacco executives. He said the request came from Associate Attorney General Robert D. McCallum Jr., a Bush appointee who also works on the Cobell v. Norton trust fund case and fought to remove the court monitor.

Bazerman said McCallum threatened to remove him from the witness list unless he changed his testimony. After protesting, he appeared in court on May 4 and testified in support of a court monitor.

Get the Story:
Expert Says He Was Told to Soften Tobacco Testimony (The Washington Post 6/20)
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Political Leanings Were Always Factor in Tobacco Suit (The New York Times 6/19)
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Judge Sets Meeting to Discuss Tobacco Penalty (The Washington Post 6/18)

Relevant Links:
Tobacco Litigation - http://www.usdoj.gov/civil/cases/tobacco2

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