LANSING, MI (WHTC-AM/FM, May 4, 2023) – Judge Fresard of the Third Circuit Court sanctioned Ottawa County for delaying the disbursement of $81 million in Opioid Settlement funds to 269 local governments and the State of Michigan.
The Department of Attorney General finalized a settlement agreement with the nation’s largest wholesale drug distributors (Cardinal Health, McKesson, and AmerisourceBergen) in 2022. Eligible local governments could receive direct payments from the settlement by signing a voluntary participation form. Despite submitting a voluntary participation form and agreeing to the settlement terms, Ottawa County pursued a complaint demanding more funds than they were allocated. The challenge failed and in a rare move the judge sanctioned Ottawa County for frivolous court filings, making deceptive claims, and relying on facts it had no reasonable basis to believe.
More than 50 local governments joined with the Attorney General to request sanctions against Ottawa County.
Ottawa County will continue to receive the settlement payments it has been allocated, per the agreement between the State and participating local governments. The sanctions against Ottawa County will be determined at an evidentiary hearing set for May 10th, 2023.
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