Brian Mann

Drain now scolding media and others who he argues have "misled" the public about the Sacklers' role in shaping this Purdue Pharma bankruptcy. He says "this is not the Sacklers' plan." Says governments, creditors and others shaped final settlement working with mediators... 18/

But @npr reporting and testimony during the trial have shown a key provision of Purdue Pharma bankruptcy plan from start was immunity from opioid lawsuits for the Sacklers, which they demanded from the outset. Sackler family set to win their core goal. 19/

Important comments from Judge Drain: "This is not a Sackler plan but a plan agreed to by 80% of the states and well over 95% of the non-state governments and actively supported by the unsecured creditors committee..." 20/

"...notwithstanding the incredible harm the debtors products have inflicted upon them. Bitterness over the outcome of this case is completely understandable. Where such pain has been inflicted one cannot help but be bitter but one also has to look at the process." 21/

In angry statement, Judge Drain accuses state officials who oppose Purdue Bankruptcy settlement of telling "a lie" when they claim there wasn't appropriate transparency regarding the Sacklers' assets. "They know what they had access to. They know how extensive it was." 23/

Judge Drain says this Purdue Pharma bankruptcy plan wasn't defined by the Sacklers. But he is also acknowledging at length that members of the family placed their wealth (which drains estimates at $11 billion) offshore where there is "a substantial issue of collectability." 24/

So negotiations toward this bankruptcy deal were shaped by financial maneuvers by the Sacklers that made it difficult to sue Purdue Pharma's owners and collect any damages. Drain says even "fraudulent transfer" claims would be hard to enforce. Sacklers deny wrongdoing 25/