Pa. sues Sackler family over role in opioid crisis
Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro (Office of Gov. Tom Wolf)
HARRISBURG, Pa. - The Pennsylvania attorney general is suing some members of the family that founded and controls Purdue Pharma over their role in the opioid crisis after a tentative settlement with 20 other states was announced.
Democratic Attorney General Josh Shapiro announced the sealed Commonwealth Court lawsuit on Thursday, arguing the defendants should take responsibility for pain they have caused.
Shapiro's office also has a lawsuit pending against Purdue Pharma over its marketing practices in the state. Shapiro says the two lawsuits will proceed independently.
He says the new lawsuit claims Sackler family members "directed, controlled and participated in" a deceptive campaign to sell OxyContin.
Messages seeking comment left with a lawyer and a spokesman for Sackler family members weren't returned.