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
