Connecticut Attorney General William Tong on Thursday announced a historic settlement that will force members of the Sackler family and Purdue Pharma to pay out $6 billion for their role in the opioid epidemic.
The drug company, which distributed OxyContin, must be “dissolved or sold by 2024 and [ban] the Sacklers from the opioid business in the United States.”
The proposed deal must be approved by the judge presiding over Purdue’s bankruptcy case. However, if approved, Connecticut will receive roughly $95 million to fund opioid treatment and prevention.
“After years of lies and denial, the Sackler family must now directly apologize for the pain they have caused. They must reckon face-to-face with the survivors of their reckless greed at a public hearing. Museums and universities may now scrub the tarnished Sackler name from their walls—ensuring this family is remembered throughout history for their callous disdain for human suffering and nothing else,” said Attorney General Tong. “This settlement is both significant and insufficient—constrained by the inadequacies of our federal bankruptcy code. But Connecticut cannot stall this process indefinitely as victims and our sister states await a resolution. This settlement resolves our claims against Purdue and the Sacklers, but we are not done fighting for justice against the addiction industry and against our broken bankruptcy code.”
Connecticut was one of several states to sue after an initial agreement was approved that would have protected the family legally and paid out less money.
The new agreement is higher than the first $4.5 billion settlement offered by the family. Furthermore, the individuals must apologize for their role in the epidemic. The family must also “allow institutions to remove the family name from buildings, scholarships, and fellowships.”
The proposed plan does not protect members of the Sackler family from future criminal liability.
— — —
Cooper Moran is a reporter for The Connecticut Star and The Star News Network.  Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “William Tong” by Connecticut Office of the Attorney General.
