GOP presidential candidate Chris Christie reportedly has close ties to the pharmaceutical industry he’s criticized on the campaign trail.
QUICK FACTS:
- Republican 2024 presidential candidate and former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is apparently closely tied to the pharmaceutical industry that he has so heavily criticized.
- Gov. Christie reportedly sits on the board of Pacira BioSciences, an opioid alternatives manufacturer, and has lobbied for the multinational pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk through his consulting firm.
- Christie’s firm, called Christie 55 Solutions, allegedly received $40,000 from Novo Nordisk in 2021 and $120,000 in 2020.
- According to the nonpartisan watchdog group Open Secrets, the GOP candidate is managed by former chief of staff and longtime Christie aid Rich Bagger, who spent 25 years as a pharmaceutical executive with Pfizer and Celgene.
- Based on findings from Politico, Pacira BioSciences paid Christie $800,000 in 2018 and 2019 as it pushed for Medicare rates to be altered to promote its opioid alternatives.
- “We are honored to welcome Governor Christie to the Pacira board of directors,” Pacira CEO Dave Stack said in 2019.
- “Governor Christie’s track record of unwavering commitment to combatting our nation’s opioid crisis and his solid reputation as a seasoned government leader is unparalleled. He is distinguished for effecting bipartisan change within healthcare policy and legislation, and his insights should prove to be of immeasurable benefit to Pacira,” Stack continued.
PACIRA’S VICE PRESIDENT OF COMMUNICATION AMBER SEARS ON CHRIS CHRISTIE’S INVOLVEMENT WITH THE PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY:
“Governor Christie’s appointment to the Pacira board was based on his long-time, unwavering commitment to the opioid crisis and his track record as a seasoned government leader who gets things done. This is the exactly the type of individual we want on our board, and we are honored to have him join,” Sears said.
BACKGROUND:
- In June 2023, attendees of the Faith and Freedom Coalition’s Road to Majority Policy event booed Christie during his speech after the presidential candidate publicly dissed former President Donald Trump.
- “Why am I running for president of the United States? I’m running because [Trump’s] let us down. He has let us down because he’s unwilling — he’s unwilling to take responsibility for any of the mistakes that were made,” Christie told the crowd.
- “Any of the faults that he has, and any of the things that he’s done,” Christie said as the crowd began to boo. “And that is not leadership, everybody. That is a failure of leadership.”
- Christie has continued to make Trump a central target of his presidential campaign, describing him as a “failed leader” and “loser, loser, loser.”
- “And I— you can boo all you want, but here’s the thing. Our faith teaches us that people have to take responsibility for what they do. People have to stand up and take accountability for what they do,” Christie continued.
