The Boston Globe is reporting that Rufus Gifford, a Democratic candidate for the open Third Congressional District seat, is repurposing a campaign contribution from accused #MeToo miscreant CBS chief executive officer Leslie Moonves to Planned Parenthood. Good for him. But this raises the question, when does a pol have to give back dirty money?
I am perplexed about what the standards are because on June 12 Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey announced that the Commonwealth of Massachusetts had filed suit against Purdue Pharma Inc. and the family that controls Purdue, the Sacklers. Purdue manufactures and markets the opioid OxyContin. Among the defendants is Jonathon Sackler.
Here is what Attorney General Healey had to say:
“The opioid epidemic is killing five people every day in Massachusetts. Purdue Pharma and its executives built a multi-billion-dollar business based on deception and addiction. The more drugs they sold, the more money they made, and the more people in Massachusetts suffered and died. These defendants must be held accountable for their role in the opioid epidemic that has ravaged our state and claimed so many lives.”
Don’t just rely on the AG’s press release though. Read through this New Yorker piece by Patrick Radden Keefe, The Family That Built an Empire of Pain: The Sackler dynasty’s ruthless marketing of painkillers has generated billions of dollars—and millions of addicts.
One piece of advice: read about “Sacklers Empire of Pain” on an empty stomach.
Jonathon Sackler bestows some of his Purdue winnings on Massachusetts politicians. So let’s take a look at his contributions, from the Office of Campaign and Political Finance website:
It’s a horrible image, I know, so here’s the summary.
$500 donations to John R. Connolly and Democrats for Education Reform MA PAC.
$1,000 contributions: Ewell T. Hopkins Jr; Steve Tompkins; Leland Cheung; Chynah Taylor; Juana Matias; Aaron Kanzer; Saritin Rizzuto; Michael Eric Bloomberg.
$10,000 to Democrats for Education Reform Independent Expenditure Political Action Committee.
$70,000 to Families for Excellent Schools Advocacy.
Some of these entities don’t have to answer for Sackler money – Families for Excellent Schools collapsed in corruption before we even reached this mess! But the $70,000 to FES was dark money. We’ll call that contribution “dark and dirty.”
Don’t politicians have to explain why coveting pelf from a #MeToo guy is worse than hoarding it from a Sackler?
Unless they give the money back.