A partner at a consulting firm under criminal investigation for its role in the opioid crisis sat alongside Democratic governors during Friday’s panel discussion on veterans’ health care, Politico reported.
Scott Blackburn is a partner at McKinsey & Company. The consulting firm is being investigated by the Justice Department for advising major opioid manufacturers on how to sell more drugs, including targeting the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).wall street journal report. Blackburn sat alongside Democratic governors on Friday.Janet Mills of Maine and Wes Moore of Maryland appear on Democratic Governors Association committee on how best to help veterans get health care and readjust to civilian life, Politico First report.
The Veterans Administration has been consulting with McKinsey since 2009, during which time the firm also advised opioid manufacturers on how to market their drugs to the agency. according to In WSJ. From 2013 to 2017, McKinsey provided several presentations to major opioid manufacturers on how to sell their drugs to the Veterans Administration. (Related: Healthcare advertising company reaches major settlement with US state over role in opioid crisis)
One of the 2013 presentations that McKinsey made for Purdue Pharmaceuticals asked opioid manufacturers “about institutional distribution channels and how to engage with large institutions (e.g., long-term care, veterans hospitals). WSJ reported that he said there is a possibility that the company will “explore” A presentation later that year advised drug companies to target the VA to increase sales.
Blackburn was a partner at McKinsey from 2005 to 2014, so his employment overlapped with the firm’s opioid consulting work. according to on his LinkedIn profile. After working at McKinsey, Blackburn held various positions at the Veterans Administration before returning to McKinsey as a partner in 2018.
A McKinsey spokesperson said: “We are proud of the work Scott and other McKinsey colleagues are doing to support the veteran community and are pleased to be part of this important discussion.” a McKinsey spokesperson told Politico.
Consulting firm McKinsey’s logo (Reuters/Charles Platiaux)
The Daily Caller News Foundation has reported extensively on Purdue Pharmaceuticals’ role in the opioid crisis. For example, DCNF tracked how the Sacklers neglected to spend the vast wealth they amassed at Purdue to rehabilitate addicts of their products.
McKinsey reached a $642 million settlement related to opioid litigation in 2021, according to the WSJ.
McKinsey has a friendly relationship with the Democratic Governors Association, contributing $110,000 to the organization in 2023, according to Politico. In response, the company donated $71,500 to the Republican Governors Association that same year.
McKinsey and the Democratic Governors Association did not immediately respond to requests for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation.
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