Statement from Gov. Bevin on Purdue Pharma's Tentative Settlement of Opioid Cases

Statement

Gov. Matt Bevin today released the following statement regarding Purdue Pharma's tentative settlement of opioid cases:

"It's a tragic day for the thousands of Kentucky families who have suffered heart-wrenching pain from the scourge of the opioid epidemic. I am deeply troubled that Kentucky is forced to stand helplessly by, as more than 20 states and nearly 2,300 local governments across the country receive a historic settlement worth approximately $12 billion with Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family, the makers of OxyContin.

In the last days of the Beshear administration, former Attorney General Jack Conway and Andy Beshear's law firm, which represented Purdue Pharma (and where Steve Beshear also became a partner after he left office), struck a corrupt deal, ensuring that Purdue would be let off the hook by paying only $24 million to Kentucky, even though our state was one of the first and hardest hit by opioids. After becoming Attorney General himself, Andy Beshear gave Jack Conway's law firm $4 million of the settlement even though they did not even have a contract to represent Kentucky at the time of the settlement.

This crooked deal is one of the biggest frauds ever committed on Kentuckians, and it is shameful that Conway and the Beshears chose to enrich themselves and their cronies at the expense of Kentucky families."

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