Press Releases
10/15/2020
Attorney General Tong Joins Coalition Urging DOJ to Revise Proposed Purdue Settlement
Attorneys General Oppose Plan for Purdue to Continue OxyContin Sales as Public Trust Corporation
(Hartford, CT) – Attorney General William Tong joined a coalition of attorneys general calling on the U.S. Department of Justice to revise a proposed settlement with Purdue Pharma that would preserve the company’s ability to continue OxyContin sales as a public trust corporation. Click here to download the letter.“Purdue’s reckless pursuit of profits ignited a nationwide public health crisis that destroyed the lives of thousands of Connecticut families. Now Purdue is claiming it should remain in control of any company that carries on the sale of its products. That is untenable. Any continued corporate existence of Purdue past bankruptcy is dangerous to public health and welfare-- especially one that sells opioids under the special protections afforded to a public benefit corporation,” said Attorney General Tong. “I expect current management to try to remain in control of the corporation. This would be even more outrageous.”
“Thousands of Americans have died, and it is a top priority of every State to enforce the law against the perpetrators whose misconduct caused the opioid crisis. The last business our States should protect with special public status is this opioid company,” the letter states.
Connecticut first sued Purdue in December 2018, alleging that the company peddled a series of falsehoods to push patients toward its opioids, reaping massive profits from sales which addiction skyrocketed across Connecticut and the nation. In April 2019, Connecticut filed an expanded, amended lawsuit against Purdue, members of the Sackler family, former members of Purdue's Board of Directors and corporate executives, and Sackler-controlled companies alleging fraudulent transfer of hundreds of millions of dollars from Purdue Pharma to the Sacklers to evade liability and accountability to Connecticut victims of the opioid epidemic.
Dozens of other attorneys general have also sued the Sacklers, and Purdue filed for bankruptcy in September 2019. Litigation against Purdue is currently on pause during the bankruptcy proceeding.
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Media Contact:
Elizabeth Benton
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