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Maryland A.G. Applauds Tobacco Decision

February 23rd, 2016 by WCBC Radio

Attorney General Brian E. Frosh today announced that the Office of the Attorney General has cleared the final hurdle allowing Maryland to recoup approximately $45 million owed by tobacco companies.

The Maryland Court of Appeals has declined further review of a funding challenge, meaning that a decision last fall by the Court of Special Appeals awarding a year’s worth of payments owed under the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement with tobacco manufacturers will remain in place.

“This is great news for the state of Maryland, and these are funds that are rightfully owed and can be put to use for taxpayer benefit,” said Attorney General Frosh. “This was a complex case that took a lot of hard work over a long time.”

Earlier, the Court of Special Appeals had determined that an arbitration panel erred in withholding some of the money Maryland should have received as part of its annual settlement payments from cigarette manufacturers under the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement

Attorney General Frosh thanked Assistant Attorneys General Matt Fader, John Leovy, Aravind Muthukrishnan, David Lapp, Michael Bouyea, Kirstin Lustila and Joshua Auerbach for their work on the case.

 

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