An extraordinary hearing has just taken place on the House oversight committee, which is investigating the role of opioid pain reliever maker Purdue Pharma, the manufacturer of OxyContin.
The session is titled “The role of Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family in the opioid epidemic”.
Bordeaux Admission of guilt Last month in federal court for crimes related to the opioid crisis that killed nearly half a million Americans.
However, no charges have been brought against the billionaire Sackler family members who own the private company, despite an investigation.
The company and six family members have been sued by cities and counties across the United States and several American states.
Caroline B. Maloney
(RepMaloney)The Sackler and Purdue Pharma family have helped fuel the opioid epidemic and are capitalizing on it with up to $ 35 billion. Listen to watch today Embed a Tweet Hear with members of the Sackler family and Purdue CEO. https://t.co/L2Mgt9tVqc
One of the reasons this hearing is exceptional is because two of those Sackler voluntarily agreed to testify today, which is very unusual. They rarely talk about their role in Purdue and the OxyContin and opioid crisis.
Today, Cathy Sackler, A former vice president of Purdue, who was a member of the company’s board of directors from 1990 to 2018, appears (remotely) to testify. She is the daughter of one of the founders of Purdue.
Also testify David SacklerHe is the grandson of one of the co-founders and the son of Richard Sackler, who for many years was the president of Purdue. David Sackler was a member of the Board of Directors for Purdue from 2012 to 2018, and Purdue CEO Craig Landau also testified.
Chairman of the Committee Caroline MaloneyThe New York Democrat said, “No member of the Sackler family has admitted wrongdoing, taking responsibility, or apologizing. They have not admitted any responsibility.”
But she described the opioid crisis, which was driven by prescriptions of powerful opioids, particularly OxyContin, as “a crime against the American people.”
Purdue Pharma is currently before prof Bankruptcy court In New York, after setting itself up Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Protection In September 2019, in an effort to halt the lawsuits, and to avoid further prosecution and settlement with the Complainants.
The lengthy procedures are not over yet and many aspects of the company and future family members are still hanging in the air, awaiting a bankruptcy judge’s decision.
