$280bn lawsuit against US tobacco companies may be snuffed out

ON the eve of a $280 billion racketeering trial of major cigarette makers, political and legal uncertainties are still hanging over the US government’s long-awaited case.

With opening arguments set for tomorrow, observers of the largest racketeering case in history say the outcome could still depend on twists and turns outside the courtroom of US District Judge Gladys Kessler.

The racketeering lawsuit, filed by the Clinton administration in 1999, could be drastically curtailed or snuffed out entirely by an appeal still pending, or a settlement after the November presidential elections, say financial analysts and anti-smoking groups.