Helmut W Gaisch
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Helmut Werner Gaisch was the Vice President of R&D, then Director of the Science & Technology operations run by Philip Morris in Neuchatel, Switzerland. He was both the Chief Scientist in Europe (in charge of conducting real scientific research) and also involved in the pseudo research, and scientific information campaigns intent on countering scientific findings and running dissembling operations. He was based at the Fabriques De Tabac Reunies SA (FTR) offices in Neuchatel along with two deputies, Helmut Reif and Iancou Marcovitch and a staff of about a dozen. (The Philip Morris EEC Regional offices were at Brillancourt, in Lausanne)
Max Hausermann, who headed the Philip Morris Europe (PME) operations, had originally nominally been his superior, but not in actual fact. Gaisch worked directly under the two top scientists in the company, Thomas Osdene and Robert Seligman, in the New York office. Gaish and Hausermann effectively shared control of Philip Morris operations in Europe and Asia - excluding the UK and America.
Gaisch eventually succeeded Hausermann as Vice President of R&D at the Fabriques Tabac Reunies (FTR) laboratories in Neuchatel,
Gaisch was normally most visible in the tobacco industry documents through his monthly reports to head office as the director of FTR.
Documents & Timeline
1975 Sep 26 Thomas S Osdene has returned from a European trip with discussions in Neuchatel with Helmut Gaisch. They talked about:
- Iran
- Gaisch and Max Hausermann planning to have Dr Leuchtenberg work at INBIFO (PM' s secrete lab in Cologne)
- Britain now has a requirement for listing ingredients (coumarin is limited)
1976 at Pesticide residue meeting Project Destroyer - Examination of Samples [3]
1977 March 31 Haussermann was at the head of PME R&D in Neuchatel. However Helmut Gaish at S&T FTR has suggested in a letter to subordinates, that, if they need pesticide residue analysis, they send the samples directly to INBIFO. Robert Seligman in New York objects:
This suggested procedure is in direct conflict with our communications from the New York Office, We have gone to great pains to eliminate any written contact with INBIFO, and I would like to maintain this structure.
Seligman was advising his executives and scientists to send any sample to PME in Neuchatel, and they should then trans-ship them to INBIFO. Alternately they could consider setting up a "dummy" mailing address in Koln. The analytical data will need to be routed back through FTR also.
He was also returning his copies of Gaisch's letter to scrub his files, and he suggested to Hausermann that they do the same. [4]
1977 Jul 14 Fagan to Robert Seligman re the meeting of the 'Smoking and Causation' sub-group - Gaisch is the Philip Morris representative and they are clearly not over-enthusiastic about his general scientific knowledge. They are shipping him masses of material so he can develop some understanding of epidemiology, cardiovascular disease, pregnancy etc. He is being put through some rapid training in various scientific disciplines.
"6) He won't have time to read through all of them, but he will be able to refer to specific aspects of the great number of variables that influence disease incidence.
7) Since there is no clear idea of how all this material is to be used, it is difficult to guide Gaisch or anyone in his reading and thinking. I hope that the meeting in July will clarify things. "
1977 Jul 15 PM document on their contingency for the Sep 9 - 13 Operation Berkshire subcommittee meeting (with other US helpers) in Pittsburgh IV. PM has large group of scientific administrators, and has now included Ragnar Rylander from Scandanavia in their contingent. (Some are also taking their wives). The meeting has been in the planning stages since February 1977.
- Operation Berkshire created the international lobbying organisation known as International Committee on Smoking xxxx (ICOSI) run for some time out of Brussels by Mary Covington a legal executive at Philip Morris. Later control passed to Bryan Simpson from Rupert Murdoch's News Ltd group in Australia and the organisation was extended and renamed INFOTAB. Later still (c 1999) it dropped the lobbying and political corruption activities (to a degree) became the Tobacco Document Center.
Philip Morris lists eight executives plus Ragnar Rylander: Robert B Seligman, Thomas S Osdene, [[Max Hausermann], Helmut W Gaisch, Helmut Wakeham, Holtzman, James Charles and Michael Mockridge. [They are in the midst of a fight over a proposed statement about causation.] [7]
1983 Gaisch begins consolidating his position in the PM heirarchy by developing PR and lobbying activities among his staff. Iancou Marcovitch is developed as his key lieutenant at this time.
1983 Mar 13 - Frank Colby of RJR who likes to dabble in industry rumours, writes that Helmut Gaisch, the Vice President of R&D at the PM Europe laboratories in Neuchatel is being replaced. (He was still there many years later) [8]
1983 Apr The speculation was that Gaisch was replaced because of (possibly) support for some Verband projects -
- "One speculation is his failure to obtain clearance firom PM/New York on exceedingly concessionary postures on smoking and health related -- often ill- conceived -- projects by the Verband." [9]
NOTE DATES DON'T MATCH [10]
1983 Apr 22 Gaisch prepared a separate "Defensive Activities" report for Frank Resnik at PM in Richmond. He appears to have been trying to move away from strict R&D, and to give his team a PR/Corporate "Issues" role in Europe (He succeeded) This is most likely why he was hired.
OBJECTIVE-1: The maintenance of a favourable commercial environment in the face of hostile anti-industry movements in order to protect PM long-term development plans.
STRATEGIES: Anti-smoking activities are largely channelled through the World Health Organisation (WHO) and a few other activist national / international organisations. A continuing effort to be made for contacting individual scientists or officials in order to learn about their intentions, to modify their opinions, to precede their interventions with national government agencies, and to activate other defensive industry responses through National Manufacturers' Associations (NMA's), Infotab, etc.
OBJECTIVE-2: The further extension and deepening of scientific contacts within NMA's (e.g. VdC, ASFC, TAC) [German, Swiss and UK tobacco institutes] , and industry organisations such as CORESTA [Tobacco research scientists] in order to enhance PM leadership and to make prevail PM policies, PM strategies and PM approaches to common problems.
- NMA's here mean the generic National Manufacturing Associations of the industry - German=Verband; Swiss=ASFC, UK=TAC.
STRATEGIES: Active participation in industry activities through qualified PM staff [names struck out - HGA (Gaisch), IAM (Marcovitch, JBB (Boder), WSF (Walter Fink)] in order to ascertain action according to PM strategies, to overcome industry inertia, to avoid unwise or'detrimental industry responses or moves, and in order to take on board crucial experimental work (e.g. ambient smoke composition, sidestream biotesting) for execution at PM laboratories or PM-controlled institutions so as to be certain that PM obtains any critical information first.
They have their own men who attend the various NMA meetings:
- Bourlas to UK'sTAC
- [[Iancou Marcovitch[[ attends the Swiss ASFC meetings, and also to WHO, IUCC, and medical association meetings and conferences.
Progress control of extra-mural projects, including INBIFO, are handled by Mr Marcovitch, as well as - together with Dr Gaisch - the maintenance of contacts with individual scientists (such as Professors Leuchtenberger, Wahren, Battig, Grandjean, Roe, Brendel, Malkki, Rylander)
- Fink to the German VdC (Verband)
- Boder to French Importers Ass [Struck out "to be removed"]
1987 Helmut Gaisch was President of Philip Morris Europe Science & Technology Department and the Director and Principal Scientist, Tobacco Science and Technology, Fabriques de Tabac Reunies, S.A., (1987). He was Philip Morris's top European scientist, head of its laboratories (with the, FTR/Philip Morris Europe) in Neuchatel, and a member of the UK Tobacco Advisory Council (TAC) in 1987.
1987 Jun Gaisch was the Director in charge of the FTR Switzerland meeting on Operation Downunder 2024270519
1987 Operation Downunder was a brainstorming session set up in the USA by the then-new CEO [[R William Murray[[ (an Australian, hence the name). Helmut Gaisch was an attendee at Philip Morris's 1987 Operation Downunder Conference, held to determine a new strategy the company could take on the issue of environmental tobacco smoke.
1987 Sep 2The Project Downunder Science Working Group draft recommendations, lists:
- More :White Coats"
8 . In order to better identify and develop scientists who present a balanced view of the ETS issue, we recommend a central search group of Tom Osdene (PMUSA), Helmut Gaisch (PMI), Charles Green (RJR USA) and Oskar Stoal (RJR TI)This group would seek scientists in the US and around the world. Fred Newman will identify additional legal counsel in the US and abroad to be given the task of overseeing the activities of these scientists on the ETS issue. As the scientists are identified, they will be added to :the IAPAG group and ultimately, placed in the AISIE witness program . [12]
- This was the real beginning of the global WhiteCoats program. Scientists willing to sell their soul were identified by lawyers and specialist recruiters, then paid to become sleeper-helpers for the tobacco industry. They were generally enlisted in one of the tobacco industry's own 'Scientific Societies' like that of the Indoor Air Pollution Advisory Group (IAPAG) which was housed at Georgetown University.
| PM EUROPE INITIAL CODES |
|---|
| AEB Andre Badstuber FTR AHA Abdelgawad new prod. ANF A Frattolillo eng. BGE Brigit Gerstenberg smoke chem. BHO B Hofer new prods CHK C Kursteiner materials .CLJ CL Jeanneret PME lab mgr/admin CVE Ch.Vermot S&T FTR CWO C Wood eng,? DAA D Amati pesticides DAT D Turpin quality chk EDS - (??) IAM Iancou A Marcovitch JAB - (??) PAG (tob chemist) WRE - W Reininghaus WRE (INBIFO scientist) WSF Walter S Fink WST (INBIFO scientist) YVG Y Genoud anal.chem. FTRR&D |
| US References |
| FER Frank E Resnik Chm. PMUSA RBS Robert B Seligman R&D PMUSA TSO Thomas S Osdene S&T PMUSA |
Philip Morris's "Accommodation Program" was borne from this conference. Gaisch was the initial organizer of PM's Whitecoat Project in Europe. Gaisch worked to thwart environmental tobacco smoke regulations in Europe using data from Institut fur Biologische Forschung or INBIFO, PM's secret overseas biological laboratory.
1987 Nov 16 Helmut Gaisch of FTR [Philip Morris] in Switzerland e-mails John Rupp at Covington & Burling. The subject line says "Organisation of Contacts with WhiteCoats" and it points out that both the C&B law firm and Myron Weinberg are trying to recruit the same scientist [who already worked for Gaisch via FTR].
I had a suprise phone call earlier today from Dr Bieve in Brussels. He was rather amazed that a certain Dr Weinberg in Washington should call, asking him exactly the questions that we had already asked him and also offering him a contract.
It made him uneasy that so much attention was suddenly focussed upon him from America (We had already introduced him to Shook Hardy (& Bacon)
We really should not be seen falling over each other when contacting independent scientists. When I gave you the other day -- in confidence -- our list of "WhiteCoats", it was precisely with the purpose in mind of avoiding double approaches. In fact, last week, Dr Weinberg had already asked me for further information on specific scientists, whose names figured on our list.
May I suggest that we agree as quickly as possible amongst ourselves on who contacts whom.
Gaisch includes a list of Contracted and Potential scientists under a "Do Not Circulate" banner. Dr Claude Bieva, a toxicologist with the Free University of Brussels, has already been contracted by Shook Hardy & Bacon to do "Other Work & ETS Seminar [He set up a seminar for them, and did other work]
It also lists Tors Malmfors under contract to lawyers Covington & Burling, with the explanation that he is the "Chief" WhiteCoat; has 3 more Swedish scientists for contract in the near future. [13]
- [Malmfors and these scientists then established the EGIL WhiteCoats front group in Scandanavia.]
1988 Proposal for the Organisation of the WhiteCoat Project [note UK spelling]
End Goals
- Resist the roll-back of smoking restrictions
- Restore smoker confidence
Pre-requesites
- Reverse scientific and popular misconception that ETS is harmful
- Restore social acceptability of smoking
It is a self-standing Project initially led by PM, but will recruit as many member companies and NMA's as possible operating within the respective markets.
It will be independent from, but work cooperatively with, bodies such as INFOTAB and the US CIAR (Center for Indoor Air Research).
A priority for the Project is to address product liability concerns in all international markets, including the US.
The project leader at this time was Helmut Gaisch (HGa). Covington & Burling (C&B) would provide the legal buffer. Those involved were
- KJW - Keith J Ware of PM EEMA
- JBR - J Bernie Robinson, Corporate Affairs, PM EEMA
- SCD - Steven C Darrah, Gaisch's boss at PM EEC
- MDH - Michael D Horst, Corporate Affairs, PM EEC
- [also SGC = Stig Carlson]
Gaisch wanted to develop this group into the Scientific Committee of the International Centre for Indoor Air Research (ICIAR) and have Shook Hardy & Bacon (SH&B ) input http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/ame87e00/pdf
1988 Jan 25 Letter from John Rupp at Covington & Burling to Bradley Brooks at PM EEC and Helmut Gaisch at FTR on the Nordic Region Witness Program.
As Helmut will recall, we met with the first three of our Nordic "whitecoat" recruits in December 1987.
A meeting has been scheduled for February 1 in Stockholm with three additional recruits. The purpose of the February 1 meeting is essentially the same as the earlier meeting — that is, to explain fully the purpose of the project, to give the scientists who have been recruited the kind of assurances that scientists typically want before embarking on a project such as ours and to begin to develop a personal relationship with the scientists. Dr. Torbjorn Malmfors, our Nordic Region scientific coordinator, has asked that the February 1 meeting be limited to the three new scientists, him and someone from my office. Assuming that all goes well at the February 1 meeting, there will be a full meeting of all of our Nordic Region scientists on March 2 and 3. The primary purposes of the March meeting are training and further orientation. Dr. Nancy Balter [of IAPAG/Georgetown University] has agreed to attend the meeting and to assist Dr. Malmfors in those tasks. Dr. Malmfors, with assistance from the people with whom we have been working at the Weinberg Group in Washington, are continuing to search for two or three additional scientific consultants for the Nordic Region -- ideally, one from Finland, one from Norway and the other from Denmark,
http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/duw95a00/pdf
1988 Feb 20 David Remes a lawyer with Covington & Burling, working for Philip Morris Corporate Affairs in Brussels, writes about the EEC/EEMA Project to block the imposition of smoking restrictions. Three different audiences need to be persuaded that they anti-smoking health claims are groundless (scientific community, regulatory authorities, and the general public). He recommends setting out to create the appearance of a wide scientific opinion that ETS "presents no scientific health risks to smokers" by:
- complaining about the weakness of the scientific case being made by the anti-smoking activists against passive smoking.
- for this purpose, scientists must be available who can attack the studies relied on by the anti-smoking foces.
- scientists and engineers must also be available who can demonstrate that the non-smoker's irritation by smoke can be solved by improved ventilation (rather than smoking bans)
- In the long term, regulators will err on the side of caution. The industry has already over-used the ploy of 'continuing controversy', and so this won't work for passive smoking. So they need to generate science to prove their case:
- sponsor a basic research program that takes into account the gaps in existing scientific knowledge.
- disseminate the knowledge generate by this research program
- mobilise in each market a corps of scientific consultants and engineers who can made the scientific case against smoking restrictions through
- articles in scientific journals
- presentations at scientific conferences and symposia,
- articles and interviews in the mass media,
- meetings with an appearances before regulatory authorities.
Currently Bill Murray (PMI CEO) has set up a special budget of 2.5 million Swiss Francs to run this program through the Science & Technology (S&T PME) division in Lausanne (under Helmut Gaisch)
S&T PME has thus far [made] plans with six research laboratories through Europe:
- Laboratory of Dr George B Neurath in Hamburg (FRG)
- TNO in Delft, Netherlands (a Dutch national lab, able to contract independently)
- Institute Fresnel, Federal Republic of Germany
- Batelle Switzerland
- Chercher Industrie in France
- Professor Roger Perry's lab at the Imperial College, University of London
For legal and logistic reasons, Covington & Burling (C&B) [The Washington DC-based tobacco lawfirm] is expected to serve as an intermediary between PM and these [6] research centers once C&B has established a permanent presence in Europe.
Bill Murray had also set up a budget to "finance the mobilisation of a corps of scientific consultants and engineers in each market [and] at the request of Bill Murray C&B has undertaken to identify and organise the corps in all of the markets around the world including the EEC/EEMA regions."
[This became the 'WhiteCoats program' beginning with EGIL and ARIA]
To accomplish this task, C&B in turn has retained the WashTech group (WTIG ) [Myron Weinberger's scientific headhunting firm] to identify and make preliminary contact with potential consultants.
C&B has also retained the CEHHT [IAPAG] group in Washington [Georgetown University Medical School] to review the publications of the consultants identified by WTIG for the purpose of weeding out unsuitable candidates. [And any] who have made public statements adverse to the industry on the primary health issue generally are avoided. For legal and logistic reasons, C&B is expected to serve as an intermediary.
- Scandinavia: In the Nordic region Dr Tobrjorn Malmfors of Stockholm has agreed to serve as director of the [EGIL] corps, and an initial training session for the first group is scheduled for Stockholm in March 11 1988. Training will be by Malmfors, Gaisch and Reif (of S&T), Nancy Balter from IAPAG, with the UK consultants Francis Roe and George Leslie (of ARIA).
- United Kingdom: More than a dozen UK scientists have been recruited. [Prof. Roger Perry, Roe and Leslie were the main ARIA recruiters.]
- Europe: Under Dr Bieve's possible direction, they had candidates in Swizerland, The Netherlands, Belgium, and France (Faccini and Abenheim)
- Germany & Austria: were left for later.
S&T were also involved with the other major tobacco law firm of Shook Hardy & Bacon, Kansas City, in planting tame scientist to comment at "ETS-related scientific issues at conferences, symposia or major public hearings" and also in organising some conferences of their own:
- May 5: General hearing before Austrian Health Minister (SHB with Adlkofer)
- Jun 13-15: Perry/Imperial College ETS symposium
- Nov: Bieve conference in Brussels.
- Sep: Healthy Buildings '88 conference in Stockholm
Remes then sums up the role of the S&T division of Philip Morris Europe:
S&T PME expects that the company president or corporate affairs manager in each market would call on S&T PME regularly -- even daily -- to provide the scientific ammunition with which to meet threatened smoking restrictions in that market.
At the request of the company president or the corporate affairs manager for a market, S&T PME would be prepared to make scientists available for conferences and symposia in that market, for meetings with and hearings before regulatory authorities and for specialised and mass media purposes. As a rule and within the framework of avaiIable resources, S&T PME would provide for the basic and general scientific services in terms of generation of data and reviews, the organisation of events, as well as the development and deployment of witnesses.
However, an especially large local scientific effort undertaken in response to a specific local requirement in a particular market, wouId have to be covered by a specia1 budget, e.g., the nation-wide study undertaken by Prof Perry in the UK to provide the basis for a balanced approach in the Fourth Report.
They are exepected to act as a scientific clearinghouse, and so they need to be kept informed. They also want to rope in the other companies to share the costs.
ACVA Atlantic [later called HBI], of course, would remain an important resource for the company president or corporate affairs manager in each market. ACVA coordinates closely with C&B but its operations are not part of the S&T PME program.
[ACVA/HBI did fake indoor air testing which was designed to discount the contribution of tobacco smoke to the symptoms of 'sick building syndrome' which they invariably said was due to low ventilation rate settings and badly maintained air ducts. The tobacco industry paid them well for these findings.] http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/iir36b00/pdf
1988 Jun 17 Sharon Boyse letter to a Brussels associate on "ETS Europe Industry Interface Meeting" also asks for information. She wants intelligence on two subjects:
- PM will be running a IAQ/ETS conference in Brussels next February
- Don Hoel of SH&B and John Rupp of C&B are recruiting scientists in
She wants feedback on these activities "We care concerned to know as much about them as possible." She then makes the following points about a recent conference.
- organised by Don Hoel of SH&B to coincide with Perry/Imperial College Conference.
- Tom Osdene of PM thought such meetings were a waste of time, because too many delegates were there. Nothing got done.
- Tom Osdene apparently did not like Helmut Gaisch's 'WhiteCoats' strategy of ETS and was convinced that the CIAR was the only way forward. [He was the creator of the CIAR]
http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/cic00a99/pdf
1988 Jun 17 Shook Hardy & Bacon organised an industry conference in London, following the Perry Conference, to discuss scientific research and strategies on ETS, globally. "Tom Osdene apparently did not like Helmut Gaisch's 'white coat' strategy of ETS (see previous note on PH's ETS strategy) and was convinced that the Centre for Indoor Air Research in the USA was the only way forward." http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/txs24a99/pdf
1988 Aug 23 Ray Thornton, (Scientific Affairs at BAT) is circulating to BAT executives a summary of "details on the Philip Morris Programme on ETS -- compiled from various sources" They are being asked to join forces with PM and RJR in running this Pan-European ETS program.
The document provides a good summary of the early organisation of PM's Whitecoats project. It reveals that the project is:
- Divided geographically into two parts. Helmut Gaisch of FTR and John Rupp of Covington & Burling had responsibility for Europe and the Middle East. Don Hoel of Shook Hardy & Bacon was to provide coverage for the "rest of the world" [Which, at this stage, was mainly USA, Canada, Australia, Latin America].
- PM's budget for the European/Middle Eastern activities in 1988 was £2.3 million. This involved " the recruitement of teams of scientists under the cryptic name ARIA " by Francis JC Roe and George B Leslie. The team also included Frank Lanau, Peter Lee, John Faccini, Alan Armitage, Leonard Levy , and Petr Skrabenek . Drs Jeffrey R Idle and Susan Wonnacott [who both worked for BAT/TAC] were approached to join, but declined.
- The first formal conference of the ARIA team was at "The Bell" (a hotel with conference rooms), Aston Clinton, Aylesbury [30 miles NW of London] on Sep 12th-13th 1988
- Thornton also lists the ARIA group's involvement in the "Perry Conference" [aka "Imperial College London ETS Conference"]
He also lists the EGIL group in Scandinavia, some Whitecoats in France, Belgium, Austria and Italy.
ACTIVITIES:
- Members of Teams are asked to comment on Smoking Issues paper and then to write comments [and] articles as appropriate. and to be generally proactive on the issues.
- Establishment of a Centre for Environmental Toxicology in the US (Sorell Schwartz and Nancy Balter the leading figures)
- Collaboration with RJ Reynolds
- Plans for two conferences: one in Argentina, the other in Central America.
Thornton is scathing about the British scientists and science recruiters involved. He blames John Rupp for problems "because of his brash behaviour, exacerbated by minor problems such as the role of dr Francis Roe, but particularly his minor acolytes, Dr George Leslie and Dr Frank Lunar, who would not be seen in the first rank of scientists qualified to comment on ETS. (Nor would Dr AK Armitage who made his name as a Pharmacologist in the 1960's/1970's a Harrogate, working for the UK TRC as it was then." [Now TAC]
There is also the synopsis of a proposed book (AK Armitage, ed.) by many of these Whitecoats (plus a few probably unsuspecting genuine scientists) trying to raise other scare-substances like asbestos to the same level as smoking. http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/vqj86a99/pdf
1989 Mar 1 Helmut Gaich's Monthly Activities for March '89 . Meeting with the Nordic cigarette companies to decide how to exploit the TNO-SAS airline smoking study; with representatives of:
- CIAR (Max Eisenberg, Robert Fenner, ? Green);
- BAT (Chris Proctor);
- Tiedemann (cigarette maker) (RA Olsen)
- Svenska Tobaks AB (Lasse Hjern, Margareta Curvall)
- Philip Morris (Mary Pottorff, Stig Carlson, ? Guarino) and Gaisch (FTR);
- Covington & Burling lawyers (Chuck Lister);
- EGIL group (Tors Malmfors, Daniel Thorburn, Arne Westlin)
Tors Malmfors decided to opt out of the study saying people shouldn't smoke in airplanes anyway.
A first information of SAS on the level of marketing managers is foreseen for the end of April. In spite of the hostile anti-smoking climate, there are some signs for an ongoing cooperation with SAS, as similar air quality problems exist with the newly ordered DC-10s. During the discussions, the proposal was made by A. WESTLIN to "make the report more positive by including some advices for improvements of the ventilation regime which could be easily implemented". Any such comments should be sent within the next two weeks.
http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/hhd24e00/pdf
1989 Jul 11 Andrew Whist's statistical report to Geoff Bible about the successes they have had with recuiting WhiteCoats in Europe, Asia, Australia and Canada. They now have 70 Whitecoats as sleepers (who can deny being employed by the tobacco industry). Recruitement has been via WashTech [headhunters]. the ARIA group and the tobacco lawyers Covington & Burling.
No retainers paid. Compensation on basis of time spent. $15,000 to $20,000 per year on average.
[WhiteCoats wee expected to find their own opportunities to make money [billed via C&B], and the original intention was that they would never need have contact with the tobacco companies. It didn't work out this way.]
He also lists the staff and contractors involved:
PMI regional personnel involved (not including country representatives) :
- EEC: Michael Horst, Paul Maglione .
- EEMA : Bernie Robinson, Keith Ware
- Asia : John Dollison, Jan Goodheart, Jenny Fung
- Australia : Phil Francis
- Latin America: Dr Francisco Moreno, Aurora Gonzalez
- Canada,: Cynthia von Maerestetten
- Lawyers : Lee. Pollack, Fred Newman, Alex Holtzman., Hugh Brass, Bradley Brooks, Frank Dulles
Covington & Burling lawyers :
- John Rupp (Washington)
- Chuck Lister ( London)
- Keith Teel (London)
- B Smith (London)
- A DuPont (Londbn)
- David Billings (Washington).
- Melinda Sidak (Washington/London)
- David Remes (Washington)
- M Jacobs (Washingon)
- Clausen Ely (Washington) .
Covington & Burling research assistants :
- J Greene (London)
- M Whitney (Washington)
- L Alkire (Washington)
http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/nns36b00/pdf
1990 Director S&T PM EEC Corporate Affairs 2500015137
1990 Jan 18 Handnote about a meeting in Stockholm with John Gorrod, John Wahren, Sorell Schwartz and FTR staff (possibly Helmut Gaisch, Iancou Marcovitch and Peter Martin). A tobacco-friendly nicotine workshop was being developed at this time (to be held at the Swedish Medical Society) which would include Sorell Schwartz and Nancy Balter from IAPAG, along with their European counterparts. http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/wvj73e00/pdf <img SRC="../library/space.gif" width=363 height=1> Workshop info. http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/yof79e0 <img SRC="../library/space.gif" width=347 height=1> Participants list includes Swedes: Curt Enzell, Henrick Nyback, and Margareta Curval http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/zof79e00/pdf
1990 May 11 Philip Morris International's Corporate Affairs Presentation slides -- Structure Diagrams [Total staff 102]
- Dinyar Devitre -- Senior Vice President
- John Dollisson , Vice President Corporate Affairs
- Asia -- Don Harris + 12 staff
- Australia -- Phil Francis + 8 staff
- EEC -- Michel Horst + 32 staff
- Helmut Gaisch - Director S&T
- IC Sargeant - Dir Corp Affairs Policies and Programs
- Paul Maglione - Mgr of Corpporate Comms & Issues Management
- G Giscard D'Estagne - Issues Manager
- G Wirz - Trainee
- A Filipone - Issues Manager
- EEMA -- Vacant + 26 staff
- LAI -- Francisco Moreno + 5 staff (Latin America + Iberia)
- New York -- John Dollisson + 19 staff
- Cynthia von Maeresetten - Dir Public Affairs
- Mary Pottorff - Mgr CA Health, ETS, Regulatory
- Wendy Burrell - Mgr Public Affairs, Tax and Adverts.
- S Virendra - Administrator
- Director Communications (vacant)
- Darienne Dennis - Media Relations
- Bobby Kaplan - Mgr Communications
- Regina Godvin - Coordinator
- Cynthia von Maeresetten - Dir Public Affairs
http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/rlb19e00/pdf
1990 Nov 27 Philip Morris's Tom Osdene maintained a diary which provides plenty of uncensored information about his activities as a main disinformation executive.
Called Gaish. He has just returned from india
http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/ojq74e00/pdf
1991 SH&B and Parrish appear to be concerned about his interviews (on film) 2022889578
1991 At Philip Morris's division of S&T under Gaisch, 48% of expenses are for "Extramural Work" developing "goodwill" that is useful for "setting the record straight" in science-related areas, for facilitating access to potential witnesses and for help in regulatory field + other contacts = most in close cooperation with Corporate Affairs, and in many cases at their request. 2074241966/1967 77% of personnel-related expenses are unrelated to ETS. No longer part of PME in reporting structure (now direct to Parrish)
1991 Jan 20 Helmut Gaisch promotes his new European Institute for Individual and Community Welfare foundation/society to counter 'health advocacy' trend.
It seems that the tide is beginning to turn, and that people are becoming more sceptical. about the wisdom of pursuing health advocacy programmes. In addition, the discrepancies between the population structures in Eastern and Western Europe, with all the associated political, economic and social problems, have made Europeans sensitive to such issues [a global or integrated approach to health].
It is for this reason that we developed the idea of creating a foundation or society to spearhead such a thinking process.
I believe that the time is ripe now do take an action that would fall on fertile ground. We also thought about a name for such an institution. Our latest version is something like: European Institute for Individual and Community Welfare.
He says he knows Geoff [Bible] "from earlier days as someone who takes decisions and who supports projects in a very active way" http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/xqz91a00/pdf
1991 Feb 6 He is on the list of Philip Morris disinformation managers for an "Issues Alert" on the Australian AFCO [Federation of Consumer Organisations] case.
Thomas Ricke, Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs, Kraft General Foods, is in Australia. He and a Burson-Marsteller representative are assisting PM Australia and the tobacco industry in preparing a media plan. (As you know, Ricke was one of the architects in the post-Cippollone press relations program).
http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/aze42e00/pdf
[Note the blending of Kraft food functions with those of the tobacco industry.]
1991 Jun 26 To add to the confusion the 'responsibility for expenses' were
- PM Management Co.
The Corporate Scientific Affairs (CSA) department within PM Management Co. is only responsible for 63% of the total costs incurred by the S&T group. [The rest appears to have stayed with FTR]- PM International
As management responsibility for the S&T group resides with PM Management Co.'s CSA group, 100% of such expenditures are CSA's responsibility.Based upon the 2nd Revised Forecast, the amount in question is approximately $3.8MM for 1991.
In 1991 the Corporate Scientufic Affairs department within PM Management Co assumed management responsibility for the S&T group .
http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/pvq32c00/pdf
1991 Jul boasting about the success of ARIA and IAI INDOOR AIR INTERNATIONAL (IAI) 2023856111A/6112
1991 Sep 1 VERSION 910901 A STRATEGY FOR EUROPE, FAVOURING A RATIONAL APPROACH TO PUBLIC POLICY-MAKING IN ALL IMPORTANT AREAS: ECONOMICS, HEALTH 2028463168/3174
1991 Sep 24 A Philip Morris report on the FTR in Switzerland: the company is looking at reorganising. Both Helmut Gaisch and Tom Osdene are facing retirement, [Tom Osdene and Helmut Gaisch are old friends] but Osdene is to be given job looking after FTR on a temporary basis. They are restructuring the accounts. Payments and grants to scientists include both legitimate research and payments for secret lobbying. They want to shift these payments over to Covington & Burling (for legal protection) and to avoid double-payment [IAI is a fake scientific organisation run via ARIA under C&B; later known as ISBE.]
- [Donald "Max"] Weetman's project ["Legal Committees' Decision Making", $15,800] should be paid from C&B . He is a critical leader in the C&B consultant program and IAI and should not be compromised by being paid from S&T.
- Nilsen [Nicotine Concentration in Hair, $191,500] was originally a C&B consultant. Perhaps he, too, should be paid through C&B, though a careful assessment of continuation should be made
- [Sorell] Schwartz, [John] Wahren and [John] Gorrod [Nicotine and alkaloids] have receive collectively $526,559 for this pharmacokinetic modelling project and an additional 1991 commitment of $106,690 for consulting fees. It seems like a lot of money to what end?
- [J] Lenges. [Cigarette Testing Methods, $64,500] While I can understand wanting to keep the laboratory (CERIA) involved, I do not think that we should try to make it an IAQ resource. Too long start up with questionable pay off. With HBI [Gray Robertson] activities so successful in Belgium this may be redundant.
- [Roger] Perry [Indoor Air Testing in the UK - millions of dollars] This is a never ending, seemingly loosely managed program that has not fulfilled its early expectations. Because Perry is so valuable in other areas [He heads ARIA and helps recruit Whitecoats] and this sprawling project seems to continue to give him credibility, we should continue funding, but with more narrowly defined, intermediate endpoints. Alternatively, supply unrestricted funds.
- R Molimard , [Provide unrestricted funding for basic research in the department. Total to date, incl. '91, $267,000] This is for 'good will.' Molimard is an advisor to French government on tobacco control.
- J Caboche [Support for his thesis student of $12,300] This is also for 'good will'. He is a former student of Molimard.
Recommendations:
S&T should avoid direct involvement with consultants actively working with C&B, e.g., Martin, Nilsen, Skrabanek, Weetman, Selroos. C&B should not recruit as consultants [Whitecoats] any scientists actively working for S&T.
Consultants who work on primary issue matters should be paid from some budget other than Steve Parrish's, presumably Chuck Wall's . Likewise, consultants paid by SH&B should not be paid by PM and vise versa.
By having one source of payment for each consultant the opportunity of "double dipping" is minimized . http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/nyw71f00/pdf
1991 Sep 24 Mary Pottorff [Philip Morris Corporate Affairs and Worldwide Regulatory Affair] discusses the staff roles and budget for the Swiss operation in Neuchatel. This is the Science & Technology division at FTR which deals with scientific issues -- both real research conducted at INBIFO and propaganda on smoking and health at Neuchatel. The American head office is revising the structure of the company and trying to curb the power of Helmut Gaisch, who has had a relatively free hand to operate these activities in Europe.
S&T Research & Consultants:
Of the 31 projects currently underway, 13 are clearly not related to ETS but maybe of interest for Primary litigation , 7 are ETS related grants and 11 are contracts.There is a rather surprising lack of support documentation on projects funded by S&T. Perhaps this was considered prudent initially, but it makes it very difficuft to evaluate projects based on just dialogue with the individual assigned as a project monitor or collective subjective comments as to relative merit of the individual or his work. Answers to Tom [Osdene]'s list of questions for each project fell far short.
For any future award, documentation sufficient to evaluate the project should be retained. Tom [Osdene] and Tony [Andrade] should develop a format with Helmut [Gaisch] that is acceptable.
She then lists the "13 [Primary Grants which] are clearly not related to ETS but maybe of interest for Primary litigation. The whole grant system is examined in detail in this document. http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/nyw71f00/pdf
1992 Retired (In 1993 Jan 15 Philip Morris memo) -- also a staff list http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/kfq94a00/pdf
1992 Feb Gaisch idea opposed by Stig Carlton EEMA HQ NEEDS FROM SCIENCE 2022889520/9524
1992 Feb Reflecting the fact that lawyers controlled all research in the tobacco industry and had a vested interest in recruiting scientists as witnesses in courts and legislative hearings, the control of Philip Morris's European science activities was transfered from PM International to PM USA at about this time (or earlier). Then in January 1992 the scientific issues and lobbying aspects of the domestic company (Philip Morris USA) and Europe (often known as S&T FTR) were put under the control of lawyer Steve Parrish , who then established four Divisions.
- Dr Thomas S Osdene was the Vice President of Science & Technology at the Richmond laboratories and oversaw both the legitimate R&D/product work and some domestic scientific lobbying operations like the Center for Indoor Air Research (CIAR)
- Dr Robert A Pages , effectively Osdene's deputy, was Director of Science & Technology at Richmond, but more involved in many of the scientific intrigues and the scientific activities of the Tobacco Institute, etc.
- Dr Thomas J Borelli , with his assistant Mary O Pottorff ran Scientific Affairs (totally international intrigue opperations) out of the New York headquarters. Pottorff had been transfered from PMI Corporate Affairs.
- Helmut Gaisch , Director of Science & Technology at Neuchatel (with a key operational staff of six science/lobbyists) looked after Europe and the common market countries.
- Ruth Dempsey, Staff Scientist
- Andre Badstuber, Staff Scientist
- Peter Martin, Principal Scientist
- Helmut Reif, Principal Scietist,
- P Ceshini, Principal Scientist
- Mitchell Ritter, Assistant Principal Scientist
: [Note:Philip Morris International still retained its own operations covering the rest of the world]
<img SRC="../library/space.gif" width=350 height=1> See organisational chart <a href="http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/nmg52c00/pdf" Target=_blank> <IMG SRC="../library/pdfer.jpg" ALIGN=right> </a>
- [Note:Note Marcovitch is no longer listed. He has retired, but become a consultant.]
1992 Feb 3 Steve Parish writes to Ronald Lively about Restructuring S&T and splitting some off into R&D.
I have recently discussed with Helmut Gaisch the changes we will implement in the S&T group. For your convenience, the details are described below.
The entire Patent group (J. Mandiratta, L. Rosner and M. Polak) and two of the scientists and one secretary previously in the S&T group (H. Reif, R. Dempsey and C. Dubuis-Meile) will transfer immediately to Research and Development. The remainder will comprise the S&T unit.
Project management and related expenses for INBIFO will be transferred to R&D as well as certain primary issue
See Page 157 http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/pvq32c00/pdf
[In effect, they converted the S&T division into a pure propaganda machine dealing with ETS and IAQ issues, smoking & health, contacts with journalists, politicains etc, and dealing with the lawyers Covington & Burling.]
• <a href="../ATN183/00067.html" class="side"> S&T Neuchatel </a>
1992 Jun There has been a major falling out between the S&T staff of Helmut Gaisch, and the CA staff in Brussels around Gerard Wirz. http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/xba54e00/tiff
1992 Sep 14 Email from Robert Pages to Richard Carchman
From what I can see Steve did not forward a copy of Peter [Martin]'s note to you. As we suspected, there's not much doubt in Peter's mind as to who should be Gaisch's successor.
Parris was considering restructuring Corporate Scientific Affairs. http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/sgj48e00/pdf
1993 Feb /E ETS distribution list carries these notes about the Corporate Scientific Affairs (CSA) division:
- Richmond
- J . Charles (retired 1991)
- R Nelson Beane (retired 1991)
- T. Osdene (retired 1992)
- R Pages, Director Science & Technology, CSA (through 12/92) PM USA
- R Carchman, Director, Scientific Affairs, PM USA
- Switzerland
- H Geischi (retired 1992)
- H Reif, Director, Science & Technology, C'SA (through 12/92) PM USA
- P. Martin, Principal Scientist, CSA (through 12/92); PMI USA
- M . Ritter, Assistant Principal Scientist, CSA (through 12/92) ; PM USA
- R. Dempsey, Staff Scientist, CSA (through 12/92); PM USA
- A. Badstuber, Staff Scientist, CSA (through 12/92), PM USA
- P. Ceschuni, Principal Scientist, CSA (retired 1993)
- I. Marcovitch (retired - active as consultant),
http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/rxw24e00/pdf
1997 Jun 5 transcript of Cathy Ellis's evidence in Florida vs Tobacco companies,]
- p 9 Asked about Helmut Gaisch
- he retired a few years back - Director of Science & Technology, Scientific Affairs PM Europe.
See this 475 page document. http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/vhz82d00/pdf
After 1991 it reported to the USA through Tom Osdene (Richmond) There was also a distinct and separate R&D function
<tdo>resource_id=3358 resource_code=gaisch_helmut search_term=Helmut Gaisch</tdo>
