Day 012 - 18 Jul 94 - Page 71
1 I think you said that there was a meeting in May, was
there not?
2 A. I do not recall the exact date but there was a
meeting, yes.
3
Q. Right. Was that just a meeting with McDonald's or were
4 there other fastfood chains present at that meeting?
A. I believe we were told there were other fastfood
5 chains.
6 Q. But they were not at the specific meeting?
A. That is correct.
7
MR. JUSTICE BELL: The second paragraph refers to individual
8 meetings with each of the companies.
9 MS. STEEL: Right.
10 MR. JUSTICE BELL: The companies being representatives of the
leading fastfood chains in the country, presumably?
11 A. That is correct. There was no-one else at our meeting
except McDonald's people.
12
MS. STEEL: OK. What do you remember of that meeting? What
13 agreement came out of it or was there any agreement?
A. What I remember was, the impression I was left with
14 was, that this letter was generated and the meeting was
generated in order that California and Texas, Attorneys
15 General of those office, could get on the publicity
bandwagon that they had missed out in New York in
16 connection with the voluntary arrangement we had made with
Mr. Abrams' office.
17
There was no agreement came out of this. It was just an
18 exchange of information. They were there to enquire about
how we were doing things, how we saw the law and for them
19 to tell us how they saw the law.
20 Q. So are you saying they were not doing it out of a concern
for the consumers that lived in their respective states,
21 they were just doing it as a publicity stunt?
A. I am not saying a publicity stunt; I am saying the
22 timing, I believe, was such that they felt it was a good
time for them to get publicity since they saw it had been
23 useful in the New York arena.
24 Q. What do you mean by them getting "publicity which they saw
had been useful in New York", what do you mean by that?
25 A. Well, it has been my impression, having dealt with
these officers for a number of years, that their actions
26 against McDonald's are in large part brought in order to
engender publicity for their offices, whether it be in
27 terms of at a time they wish to build up their budget and
perhaps ask for more allocations for their office, or
28 perhaps be it near election time when publicity is good.
29 McDonald's is very visible and a company which the mere
mention of McDonald's generates a great deal of
30 publicity. The fact of the matter is in all the years we
have dealt with Mr. Gardner, with the other Attorneys
