Day 024 - 15 Sep 94 - Page 22


     
     1        public statements made by representatives of your offices
     2        in recent days concerning the company's announcement of a
     3        voluntary nationwide program to put nutrition and
     4        ingredient information about its products in its
     5        restaurants.
     6
     7        According to press reports, Texas and California officials
     8        have charged that the company's nationwide program is in
     9        reality a reluctant concession to threats of legal action
    10        from your offices.  These officials have accused
    11        McDonald's of misleading the public and of breaching an
    12        agreement to participate in a coordinated press
    13        announcement arranged by your offices."  They say these
    14        charges are totally unfounded.
    15
    16        After you read in the press that McDonald's had announced
    17        that they were providing this information, did you
    18        personally, or your office, make any statements to the
    19        press concerning it?
    20        A.  I know that I was personally contacted by, I believe
    21        it was the Associated Press Law(?) Service reporter on the
    22        Tuesday or Wednesday following.  I do not recall, but I do
    23        not believe that the office put out affirmatively any
    24        press release or statement concerning the matter.  It may
    25        have happened and I just do not have that -- I did not
    26        have a hand in drafting or releasing press releases except
    27        in the most extraordinary of situations, which this was
    28        not.
    29
    30        Our press office handle press releases and other public
    31        press statements.  In some rare instances there would be a
    32        press conference at which I was invited to attend on the
    33        announcing of significant litigation, or something such as
    34        that.  Here, this was just a minor annoyance in the
    35        day-to-day business of the Attorney Generals office.  I do
    36        not think a release went out.  If so, I had no hand in it;
    37        I am not now aware of one.
    38
    39   Q.   But, at any rate, there was some contact with the press
    40        and, presumably, you stated your position or your office's
    41        position?
    42        A.  Yes. I know, having recently reread the Associated
    43        Press story that did appear on Wednesday or Thursday that
    44        week, I was quoted in this.  I do specifically remember
    45        talking with that Associated Press reporter regarding this
    46        matter.  He was the same person who had been the recipient
    47        of the information from McDonald's that they unilaterally
    48        released on the Monday.
    49
    50   Q.   Do you recall what you said, I mean, not obviously word 
    51        for word, but the general gist of what your reaction was 
    52        to McDonald's trying to claim the credit for the 
    53        brochures?
    54        A.  In general, it was that McDonald's deserved credit for
    55        nothing in this regard, because McDonald's had,
    56        figuratively speaking, been dragged kicking and screaming
    57        into the fold; that they were not leaders; they were, in
    58        fact, the last to cross the finish line, and I did not
    59        believe it was appropriate for them to take credit for
    60        something they had not done specifically, that I felt that

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