| Topic: |
Politics > Politics-USA |
| User: |
"Harry Hope" |
| Date: |
10 May 2007 02:55:59 PM |
| Object: |
OxyContin: The Ghouliani Connection |
From ABC News, 5/10/07:
http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2007/05/oxycontin_the_g.html
OxyContin: The Giuliani Connection
Brian Ross, Richard Esposito & R. Schwartz Report:
Rudolph Giuliani and his consulting company, Giuliani Partners, have
served as key advisors for the last five years to the pharmaceutical
company that pled guilty today to charges it misled doctors and
patients about the addiction risks of the powerful narcotic painkiller
OxyContin.
Federal officials say the company, Purdue Frederick, helped to trigger
a nationwide epidemic of addiction to the time-release painkiller by
failing to give early warnings that it could be abused.
Prosecutors say "in the process scores died."
Drug Enforcement Administration officials tell the Blotter on
ABCNews.com Giuliani personally met with the head of the DEA when the
DEA's drug diversion office began a criminal investigation into the
company.
According to the book "Painkiller," by New York Times reporter Barry
Meier, both Giuliani and his then-partner Bernard Kerik "were in
direct contact with Asa Hutchinson, the administrator of DEA."
Hutchinson told the Blotter on ABCNews.com today that Giuliani asked
for a meeting, "and we gave him a meeting."
Hutchinson says he was aware the company was under investigation at
the time, and "any time a company is under investigation I like to
give them a chance to make their case."
Kerik told New York Magazine at the time that Giuliani had raised
$15,000 in donations for a "traveling museum operated by the DEA."
Some officials told ABC News there were questions inside the agency of
whether the donations were an attempt to influence the DEA.
Meier wrote that "with Giuliani now in the mix, the pace of DEA's
investigation into Purdue's OxyContin plant in New Jersey slowed as
Hutchinson repeatedly summoned division officials to his office to
explain themselves and their reasons for continuing the inquiry."
Giuliani publicly praised the company, Purdue Frederick, when it hired
him in May 2002 for an undisclosed amount.
"Purdue has demonstrated its commitment to fighting this problem," he
said, referring to the issue of drug addiction.
According to Giuliani Partners, Kerik, a New York City police
commissioner under Giuliani, was in charge of helping Purdue improve
security at the New Jersey plant.
Kerik left Giuliani Partners after disclosures he was under criminal
investigation.
In hiring Giuliani, Purdue said, "Giuliani Partners is uniquely
qualified" to address the issue of preventing drug abuse.
The Web site for Giuliani Partners lists Purdue Pharma as one of its
current clients.
A spokeswoman for Giuliani Partners told ABC News today, "The
proceeding speaks for itself, and beyond that we're not going to
comment."
______________________________________________________
Ghouliani's melting...melting...melting
Harry
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