Saturday, February 20, 2010

Justice Department asks high court for right to Big Tobacco money

The Justice Department has asked the Supreme Court to override a decision in the lower courts that said the government could not take billions of dollars from the tobacco industry for ill-gotten gains. In its petition to the court, the Justice Department claims that the tobacco industry has been unlawfully "racketeering" activity that has "cost the lives and damaged the health of untold millions of Americans." Also, they claim that the industry purposefully hid safety risks from the public. If the Supreme Court decided to take the case (since it is a dispute between circuits) then the tobacco industry could be completely broken because of the deficit they would face. The tobacco firms in question make up 90% of all domestic sales.

My question is, what right does the government have to the money that the tobacco industry would pay? Wouldn't it be better to pay the money to the individuals or families who were unknowingly or unlawfully harmed by the industry?

For more information, see the article on CNN: Justice Department asks High Court for Right to Big Tobacco Money

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