AG: ‘Back to drawing board’ on settlement
Published: 07-13-2024 9:01 AM |
After the U.S. Supreme Court blocked a landmark $6 billion opioid settlement last month that would have steered up to $110 million to the Bay State for prevention, treatment and recovery programs, Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell said Wednesday that her office is “up for the challenge” to push for more funding and accountability for the opioid crisis.
The 5-4 decision in late June unraveled a complex deal negotiated during Purdue Pharma’s bankruptcy proceedings that aimed to allocate funds for victims and communities impacted by the opioid epidemic, while shielding the company’s owners, the Sackler family, from further personal liability.
Purdue Pharma, maker of OxyContin, has long been accused of fueling the opioid epidemic, which has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives across the country and continues to take about 2,000 lives in Massachusetts every year.
“I know there are many folks who were absolutely disappointed with that result, because they were expecting resources to come in to help with treatment, recovery, and everything we need to take on the opioid crisis, which is still significant in Massachusetts, and of course, in this country,” Campbell said of the decision on GBH Radio’s “Boston Public Radio” Wednesday afternoon.
Campbell, who credited her predecessor Maura Healey for her role in negotiating the settlement, acknowledged different perspectives on the agreement.
“Some were excited to get money quickly to communities and residents for recovery. Others felt we needed to push the envelope,” she explained.
Healey, when the now-governor was the state’s attorney general, filed the first state lawsuit against individual members of the Sackler family.
“While I know this resolution does not bring back loved ones or undo the evil of what the Sacklers did, forcing them to turn over their secrets by providing all the documents, forcing them to repay billions, forcing the Sacklers out of the opioid business, and shutting down Purdue will help stop anything like this from ever happening again,” Healey said in 2021 with the announcement of the settlement. “This case has also shown us that our legal system needs to change so that billionaires are never allowed to manipulate the bankruptcy system. I am grateful to the families whose strength and perseverance will continue to guide our work to combat this crisis in the years ahead.”
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Asked for a comment Wednesday about the Supreme Court’s decision, the governor said the Sackler family exploited a “broken legal system.”
“This decision will never erase the role that Purdue and the Sacklers had in creating the opioid crisis, destroying the lives of American families, and exploiting a broken legal system to protect their billions. When I was Attorney General, Massachusetts was the first state to sue the Sacklers and reveal the truth about the harm they caused in order to prevent anything like this from happening again. I will never stop working for the families who have been hurt in this crisis and for the communities that desperately need these resources for prevention, treatment and recovery,” Healey said in a statement.
Despite the setback, Campbell said she is committed to pursuing accountability and resources.
“Now we just have to go back to the drawing board and push as aggressively for more funding, for more accountability. And we’re up for that challenge,” she said.
ABC News reported Tuesday that Purdue Pharma is looking to chart a course for a new mass settlement of the thousands of lawsuits that have been filed against the company and Sackler family.