Warren asks Harvard to give up the museum's name of Sackler instead of the opioid links of the family



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And this occurred when Warren announced that she would make charitable donations to offset approximately $ 4,500 in campaign contributions from Sackler family members for several years, the last of which was in 2017.

Warren wrote that she hoped her policy would create "an America in which people like the Sacklers destroy millions of lives to make a living without having the museum wings that bear their name, they go to jail."

CNN first reported its position on Harvard, which the campaign has confirmed.

Warren's proposal, which complements a bill she developed last year with Maryland's Democrat Representative Elijah Cummings, would inject $ 100 billion of federal funding over 10 years into prevention and prevention initiatives. access to treatment.

Members of the billionaire Sackler family and their Purdue Pharma company have been accused of minimizing the risks of opioids to improve sales.

The family and the company deny having committed a wrongdoing in the manner in which they marketed and sold the OxyContin. In a statement, a spokeswoman described the campaign gift of a family member, Beverly Sackler, as being "done with the best of intentions".

"We would like the dialogue with the Senator to be sincere and fact-based, because the facts clearly show that the Beverly family-owned company has been the industry leader for decades in the fight against opioid abuse. while providing essential products to the treatment of severe chronic pain, "the statement said.

In a statement, Harvard noted that the family's donations to the Arthur M. Sackler Museum were prior to the introduction of OxyContin.

"Dr. Sackler died in 1987, before OxyContin was developed and marketed. Given these circumstances and legal and contractual considerations, Harvard does not intend to remove Mr. Sackler's name from the museum, "the statement said.

University president, Lawrence Bacow, recently told Harvard Crimson: "I think it would be inappropriate for the university to return the gift or remove the name of Dr. Sackler from the university." building that his gift supports, since he has no connection with it. "

Other institutions have been criticized for their ties to the Sacklers.

Tate museums in the UK and Solomon R. Guggenheim in New York rejected family donations. Tufts University is reviewing its relationship with the Sacklers. And in southern Vermont, some residents near Mount Snow were appalled to learn that the family had taken a significant stake in Peak Resorts, the company owning the ski area.


Christina Prignano of the Globe staff contributed to this article. You can contact Andy Rosen at [email protected].

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