Murderer or Monster? –
May 7, 2019 – The latest version of the complaint ratchets up the already-intense pressure on Purdue and, particularly, Dr. Richard Sackler, who is accused of describing opioid abusers as “victimizers.” While seven other Sackler family members who own the firm are also named in the lawsuit, he has emerged as an especially controversial figure because of the proliferation of allegations that he orchestrated the fraudulent and reckless marketing of OxyContin — practices that Tong and other prosecutors blame for fueling the opioid crisis in their states.
“These emails are far more than a momentary lapse in judgment between friends — they encapsulate the depraved indifference to human suffering that infected Purdue’s entire business model,” Tong said in a statement. “Purdue and defendant members of the Sackler family knew people were dying, but they continued to push their opioids in blind pursuit of profit. Purdue and the Sacklers must be held accountable.
