Sherrill Accuses Ciatarelli of Profiting from Opioid Crisis During Debate

In a heated exchange during Wednesday night’s gubernatorial debate, New Jersey candidate Rep. Mikie Sherrill confronted her Republican challenger, Jack Ciatarelli, alleging that he benefited personally from the opioid epidemic.

“My opponent seems to enjoy discussing his business acumen, but I wonder how much New Jerseyans really know about his business practices,” she remarked, diverting from a query about unemployment rates.

“He’s made a substantial profit by teaming up with some of the most dubious figures, promoting the idea that opioids are safe, and spreading their misleading narratives,” Sherrill added.

During the debate, Sherrill pointed to a 2023 report by NJ.com, which highlighted controversial training materials produced by Ciatarelli’s company. Critics argued these materials echoed dangerously inaccurate pharmaceutical industry messages about opioids.

One particular document from the company claimed that “chronic pain patients without pre-existing substance use disorders face a low risk of opioid misuse,” as noted in the report. This connection was part of Sherrill’s effort to tie Ciatarelli to the wider opioid crisis.

“Tens of thousands of New Jersey residents have died. And to make matters worse, he was compensated for developing an application that facilitated easier access to opioids for those struggling with addiction,” she stated.

Ciatarelli, however, did not address the accusations directly, instead choosing to defend himself. “First off, shame on you,” he responded sharply.

He further argued that during the Biden administration, Sherrill neglected the growing concerns over the influx of individuals crossing the border, particularly concerning the fentanyl crisis and its impacts on communities.

The NJ.com article reported that Ciatarelli’s firm, Galen Publishing, generated $12.2 million from 2007 to 2016 through a contract providing ongoing education materials to the University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy. Critics have suggested that the materials echoed pharmaceutical industry propaganda.

In 2023, Ciatarelli’s campaign emphasized that the University of Tennessee selected the topic, with faculty responsible for the content creation and editorial direction, while Galen simply acted as a facilitator for funding the publication.