A $10 Billion Question: Did Sacklers ‘Abuse’ Purdue Bankruptcy?
- Federal judge scrutinizes billionaire family’s cash transfers
- Stakeholders weigh in on legality of contoversial releases
Purdue Pharma headquarters in Connecticut.
Photographer: Victor J. Blue/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
A debate is raging in federal court over whether the owners of Purdue Pharma LP, members of the billionaire Sackler family, secured protection for themselves from future opioid lawsuits by abusing the U.S. bankruptcy system.
U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon is worried about the answer and its implications for her upcoming ruling on an appeal of the drugmaker’s opioid settlement. The deal would route billions of dollars to opioid abatement efforts and see Purdue’s assets turned over to the states, cities and counties suing it over its role in the crisis.