the weinberg group also assisted the tobacco industry's law firm, covington & burling, with implementing a multinational environmental tobacco smoke scientific witness program (also known as the "whitecoat project.") a covington & burling internal document dated 1988 claims the purpose of the meeting was "to discuss ets as a public affair as well as a scientific issue – and to begin discussion of the role that consulting scientists can play in promoting an objective understanding of the issue among members of the scientific community, government officials and members of the public."