VIDEO – WITH COURAGE AND MORALS –
Aug. 15, 2023 – Quinn had helped Goldin form a grassroots group called P.A.I.N. (Prescription Addiction Intervention Now), which brought attention to the Sacklers’ pivotal role in the deadly opioid epidemic and shamed art institutions worldwide into ending their association with the family. (Goldin became addicted to OxyContin after taking it for tendonitis in 2014.) And when Purdue declared bankruptcy and pushed to limit liability for the family, Quinn formed a creditor’s committee that called itself the Committee on Accountability.
“Purdue Pharma, as a corporate entity, pled guilty to two crimes a few years ago—bribery/kickbacks and stealing money from the government,” notes Quinn. Despite a record $8.3 billion fine that paved the way for Purdue’s bankruptcy, there were no charges against individuals like Richard Sackler, who was chairman and president when those crimes took place. “This wasn’t a driverless machine. There were individuals committing those crimes.”
The Sacklers’ payout was boosted to $6 billion after several states appealed the initial bankruptcy deal. In return, the family would be immune to all future lawsuits and financial liability. (The Sacklers said they acted “lawfully in all respects” and regret that OxyContin “unexpectedly” became part of the opioid crisis.)
