Oklahoma attorney general seeks federal opioid investigation

Oklahoma attorney general seeks federal opioid investigation
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – Oklahoma’s attorney general says in a letter to U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions that federal racketeering laws should be used to investigate the manufacturers, wholesalers, and distributors of opioids.
State Attorney General Mike Hunter says in the letter dated Friday that the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, or RICO, should be used to pursue the opioid industry.
Hunter also asks to meet with Sessions to discuss what he calls an opioid epidemic in Oklahoma.
In June, Hunter filed a lawsuit against about a dozen pharmaceutical companies, alleging that deceptive marketing campaigns have led opioid addictions and deaths.
The companies in September filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, saying it “misconstrues a complex public-health crisis” and that they’ve complied with federal requirements to warn the public about the dangers of the drugs.