A former senior partner will plead guilty to obstruction of justice for destroying company documents. McKinsey & Company has consented to pay $650 million to resolve a Justice Department inquiry into its association with the opioid manufacturer Purdue Pharma. A former senior partner has also consented to plead guilty to obstructing justice by destroying internal company documents related to that work. The government’s case focused on the global consulting firm’s suggestion that Purdue Pharma “turbocharge” sales of its main painkiller, OxyContin, during a devastating opioid addiction crisis that claimed hundreds of thousands of American lives. The settlement and the government’s conclusions were announced at a press conference in Boston on Friday. Prosecutors stated that McKinsey was aware of the risks and dangers linked to OxyContin, as well as the knowledge that high-ranking Purdue Pharma executives had admitted guilt to federal offenses concerning the drug’s sales. The consulting firm decided to keep collaborating with the pharmaceutical company to increase opioid sales. Over a span of about 15 years, more than two dozen McKinsey partners worked with Purdue, bringing in $93 million for the firm. The settlement, which the government stated concluded its inquiry into McKinsey, resulted from allegations made by the U.S. attorney’s offices in Massachusetts and Virginia’s Western District. The case does not pertain to Purdue Pharma’s bankruptcy plan, which involves billions of dollars and is currently in a legal standstill, and aimed to provide compensation to numerous families. The McKinsey settlement marks the end of a significant part of the extensive legal efforts to address the industry linked to the opioid crisis. McKinsey is seen as the top management consulting firm in the world, operating internationally to provide guidance to many Fortune 500 companies and government entities, including those in authoritarian countries like China and Saudi Arabia. We are currently unable to access the article content. Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings. Thank you for your understanding while we check access. If you’re in Reader mode, please leave and sign into your Times account or subscribe to access all of The Times. We appreciate your patience while we confirm your access. Are you already a subscriber? Sign in.. Do you want access to all of The Times?
