Documents released this week shed new light on an aggressive strategy from vape maker Juul to court Black leaders, including the Rev. Al Sharpton, to publicly support its e-cigarettes.
Beginning in 2018, Juul executives, including the company’s CEO, discussed six- and seven-figure partnerships with civil rights organizations, one of which would have seen it send as much as $7 million to Sharpton’s group, according to internal emails and documents that were released this week as part of a legal settlement with the state of North Carolina.
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It’s not clear how much the company ultimately spent on the partnerships.
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