Democrat Tim Ryan Rakes in Campaign Cash from Drug Corporations Linked to Deadly Opioid Crisis

Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH), running against Republican J.D. Vance for Ohio’s open United States Senate seat, is raking in campaign contributions from drug corporations linked to the nation’s deadly opioid crisis.

An exclusive report from the Associated Press (AP) reveals that since 2007, Ryan has taken about $27,000 from AmerisourceBergen, McKesson Corporation, and Cardinal Health — the three largest drug corporations in the U.S. who have been partially blamed for an opioid crisis now killing more than 100,000 Americans every year either via overdoses or poisonings.

Vance, unlike Ryan, has not received any donations from drug corporations.

Just this year, the three corporations reached a $21 billion settlement for their roles in the opioid crisis that has particularly swept the state of Ohio. The settlement is the largest ever recorded related to the opioid crisis.

The AP reports:

The trio’s combined giving to Ryan of $27,000 represents a fraction of the campaign contributions he has collected over the years, which include $8.6 million for the Senate race as of July. Still, they are notable as Ryan hammers the spotty record of the anti-opioid nonprofit started by his Republican opponent, “Hillbilly Elegy” author JD Vance. [Emphasis added]

…

The distributor most generous to Ryan was from Cardinal Health Inc., a multinational health care services company headquartered in his home state. The company’s PAC has given him $21,000 since 2007, including $5,000 this August. McKesson Corp. Employees PAC gave Ryan $5,000 in 2012. Amerisource Bergen Corp. PAC gave him $1,000 in 2019. The opioid crisis was ongoing during all those years. [Emphasis added]

The three companies’ PACs have donated nearly $10.8 million combined to a wide range of candidates across the country since 2007, according to campaign finance figures compiled by the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics. About $4.5 million of that went to Democrats, and the other roughly $6.2 million went to Republicans. Vance’s campaign has not received any donations from the PACs. [Emphasis added]

“Tim Ryan has spent millions spreading lies about JD, despite the fact that JD’s own mother struggled with addiction for years,” Vance campaign spokesman Luke Schroeder said in a statement.

“All the while, Tim Ryan was taking money from the very companies responsible for the opioid epidemic, and even voted against legislation that would have delivered needed relief,” Schroeder continued. “This shameless hypocrisy from Tim Ryan disqualifies him from higher office.”

During his GOP primary victory speech in May, Vance made a distinct point to go after the nation’s largest drug corporations for their role in the opioid crisis. Vance said at the time:

Think about the drug crisis. An establishment Republican Party that refused to do anything against the Sackler family which poisoned this state with drugs and an establishment Democrat Party that is actively encouraging the Mexican drug cartels to flood us with even worse drugs … how about we put them both in jail.

Since 2017, Ryan has continuously voted against measures to crack down on those pushing opioids on American citizens — including voting against a 2018 bill to bring maximum criminal charges against individuals manufacturing, distributing, or dispensing drugs like fentanyl.

John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at jbinder@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter here.