New RuralVote.org AD: J.D. Vance set up a fake charity to address the opioid epidemic
Today, RuralVote.org Super PAC launched its first video ad of 2022 in the Ohio Senate race between Democrat Tim Ryan and Republican J.D. Vance. The ad, which will air on streaming programs in rural Ohio, further exposes the ties between “Our Ohio Renewal,” the non-profit organization created by Vance to address the opioid epidemic, and Purdue Pharma, which was largely responsible for the opioid epidemic.
In August, the Associated Press reported: “An AP review found that the charity’s most notable accomplishment — sending an addiction specialist to Ohio’s Appalachian region for a yearlong residency — was tainted by ties among the doctor, the institute that employed her and Purdue Pharma, the manufacturer of OxyContin.” That specialist was Sally Satel.
Satel’s longstanding ties to Purdue are clear, as shown in a November 2003 CNN clip in the video ad in which Wolf Blitzer introduces Satel as a guest: “We requested to speak with a representative of Purdue Pharma. It instead offered the name of a guest that we contacted, and we agreed to invite her on our program. Dr. Sally Satel is a psychiatrist here in the Washington area.”
In November of 2019, STAT News and ProPublica reported, “Purdue’s hidden relationships with Satel and AEI illustrate how the company and its public relations consultants aggressively countered criticism that its prized painkiller helped cause the opioid epidemic.”
The following is a statement from Matt Hildreth, Executive Director of RuralVote.Org PAC:
I’ve followed J.D. Vance’s career for years now. When he moved back to Ohio, I had hope that he would help make life better for rural communities. Instead, he morphed into a MAGA Republican, using the nonprofit he created as a way to start his political career. It’s hard to envision a bigger slap in the face to the communities that have been ravaged by the opioid crisis than hiring someone who repped Purdue Pharma. But, that’s who J.D. Vance is and we want to make sure voters in Ohio know.
RuralVote.org is a Super PAC from the creators of RuralOrganizing.org dedicated to supporting candidates working to increase good paying jobs, decrease daily expenses, and improve the quality of life in Rural America