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New Jersey Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli will be suing his Democratic opponent after being accused of profiting off of the opioid epidemic.
Democrat Mikie Sherrill said Ciattarelli “killed tens of thousands of people” during a tense Wednesday night debate. Ciattarelli also accused his opponent of breaking the law to access his records while Sherrill claimed he’d profited from publishing “misinformation” to the public.
“He was paid to develop an app so that people who are addicted could more easily get access to opioids; and so, as he made millions, as these opioid companies made billions, tens of thousands of New Jerseyans died,” Sherrill said during the debate.
Ciattarelli campaign strategist Chris Russell called the attacks from Sherrill a “clearly defamatory attack that shocked the moderators, press, and public alike.”
“In a time where political violence and violent rhetoric are becoming all too prevalent, Mikie Sherrill baselessly and recklessly accusing a political opponent of mass murder in a televised debate crosses the line,” the strategist said.
Sherrill accused the Republican candidate multiple times of being responsible for thousands of deaths. The exchange was centered around materials made by Galen Publishing for the University of Tennessee’s pharmaceutical school. Critics like Sherrill claimed the materials downplayed the risks of opioids to favor pharmaceutical companies.
Sherrill spokesperson Sean Higgins also released a statement, not backing down at all from the accusations thrown out in the debate.
“Jack’s reaction is to hide behind a lawsuit, not to take responsibility,” Higgins said. “What’s reckless and irresponsible is Jack Ciattarelli making millions of dollars profiting off the pain of New Jerseyans — publishing misinformation about the dangers of opioid addiction and developing an app to coach patients to ask doctors for more drugs.”
Ciattarelli’s camp told the New York Post that the suit will be filed next week.
The post New Jersey GOP Governor Candidate to Sue Opponent Over Claim He ‘Killed’ Thousands first appeared on Mediaite.
