Press Releases
12/16/2021
Attorney General Tong Statement on U.S. District Court Decision Vacating Purdue Bankruptcy
(Hartford, CT) – Attorney General William Tong released the following statement in response to the U.S. District Court ruling this evening vacating the Purdue bankruptcy order that granted unprecedented lifetime legal immunity to the Sackler family.“This is a seismic victory for justice and accountability that will re-open the deeply flawed Purdue bankruptcy and force the Sackler family to confront the pain and devastation they have caused. Earlier today I met with two mothers who lost their sons to opioid addictions that each began with Purdue’s OxyContin. For them, this fight was never about the money. It was about holding Purdue and the Sacklers accountable for the lives stolen and destroyed by their relentless greed. That is why Connecticut helped lead the charge against the plan, and why we will continue to push for true justice and accountability in any appeals or new bankruptcy proceedings. Connecticut will not allow billionaire wrongdoers to hide behind the bankruptcy code to shield their blood money and escape justice. The Sacklers must and will be held accountable for the devastation they have caused," said Attorney General Tong.
Connecticut, California, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington appealed the controversial Bankruptcy Court decision that sought to extinguish Connecticut’s claims against both Purdue and the non-bankrupt Sackler family. The plan sought to grant lifetime immunity to the Sackler family for civil opioid-related claims. Purdue’s bankruptcy plan required the Sackler family to pay $4.3 billion- though they are worth multiple times that amount- over nine years to help abate the opioid crisis they fueled. By the time they would be finished paying this settlement, the Sacklers would be wealthier than when they started.
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Media Contact:
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