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Congressman Krishnamoorthi Condemns CEO of Purdue Pharma L.P. Still Receiving $3 Million Bonus After The Company Pleaded Guilty To Three Felony Counts

December 23, 2020

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL-08) expressed strong disappointment that Dr. Craig Landau, President and CEO of Purdue Pharma L.P., told lawmakers during a recent hearing that he intends to a keep a nearly $3 million bonus he is set to receive between now and March 2021. Purdue is the maker of the highly addictive painkiller OxyContin, the aggressive and illegal marketing of which ushered in the nationwide opioid crisis.

"The notion that Dr. Landau should be rewarded with a nearly $3 million bonus, on top of his base salary of $2.6 million, after years of criminal activity on the part of Purdue and half a million opioid-related deaths since 1999, is simply outrageous," said Congressman Krishnamoorthi. "The court overseeing Purdue's bankruptcy case should not permit Dr. Landau to receive this bonus nor should Dr. Landau be willing to accept it. Anything less than a full forfeiture would be an insult to the families who lost loved ones to the depravity of the executives and owners of Purdue Pharma."

During the same hearing, Dr. Landau said he did not feel responsible for the 450,000 opioid-related deaths that occurred between 1999, the year he joined Purdue, and 2018.

Rep. Krishnamoorthi: At that time, you made a 2009 presentation in September of that year with your consultants at the FDA, and in that presentation you said, in this slide, "Who at Purdue takes responsibility for all these deaths?" referring to opioid deaths. And the answer: "We all feel responsible." Now Dr. Landau, I presume that when you refer to "we," that includes you, correct?

Dr. Landau: With respect, Representative, that wasn't a slide that was presented, and actually it was not a final slide, it was material in preparation for a –

Rep. Krishnamoorthi: So you don't feel responsible, is that what you're saying?

Dr. Landau: Absolutely not, is what I'm saying.

Last month, Purdue Pharma pleaded guilty in federal court to three felonies that, together, spanned the time period of May 2007 to at least March 2017. Those felonies were one count of dual-object conspiracy to defraud the United States and to violate the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and two counts of conspiracy to violate the Federal Anti-Kickback Statute.

In 2007, the Purdue Frederick Company, the parent company of Purdue Pharma, pleaded guilty in federal court to a felony charge of misbranding of Oxycontin. Three of Purdue's top executives – the CEO, general counsel, and former chief medical officer – pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of misbranding Oxycontin.

Dr. Landau first joined Purdue Pharma in 1999 and has been continuously employed by the company and its various operations ever since.