 who were all carefully trained and contracted to promote the pro-smoking message.In 1997-1998, Griscom represented R.J. Reynolds on a long series of tobacco industry negotiations with the State Attorneys-General, the Justices Department, the White House and its agencies.This led to a February 1998 Master Settlement Agreement, in which the tobacco industry agreed to pay hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation for Medicaid costs associated with smoking to avoid charges under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO).