Kentucky Senate President calls for investigation into state's settlement with Purdue Pharma

Kentucky Senate President Robert Stivers, R-Manchester, is calling for an independent investigation into the state's settlement with Purdue Pharma.

The OxyContin maker filed for bankruptcy earlier this month as it faces thousands of lawsuits related to the ongoing opioid epidemic. Kentucky's original lawsuit was filed in 2007 by former Democratic Attorney General Greg Stumbo. It was ultimately settled by his successor Jack Conway, also a Democrat, in 2015.

Kentucky received $24 million, while Oklahoma received $270 million in March 2019.

Stivers announced he plans to introduce a joint resolution directing an investigation into the Purdue Pharma settlement. The Legislative Research Commission will be directed to obtain services of an investigating counsel. The resolution will be introduced on the first day of the 2020 Regular Session.

Republican Governor Matt Bevin criticized Conway for settling at that time. Current Attorney General and Democratic gubernatorial nominee Andy Beshear worked for the law firm that represented Purdue Pharma at the time of the Kentucky settlement, but he said he had no direct involvement with the case.

In a statement Tuesday evening, Beshear's campaign manager called the announcement a "shameless political stunt," adding that as attorney general Beshear has been "the most aggressive attorney general in the country when it comes to taking on the big pharmaceutical companies that ravaged our communities."

Stivers said the state will explore receiving an increased settlement as well.

Kentucky has yet to receive all the money from the 2015 settlement, and the state may not get all the funds because of the bankruptcy filing.

Stivers said the resolution will be introduced no matter who wins the governor's race in November. He hopes the investigation takes 6-8 months.

House Speaker David Osborne released a statement saying Kentuckians have a right to know if elected officials were acting in their best interest at the time of the 2015 settlement.

Jack Conway now works for a Louisville law firm that received more than $4 million of Kentucky's $24 million settlement for its work on the case,

. Conway told the Lexington Herald-Leader that he has nothing to hide, and that other states are getting larger settlements now because they have stronger consumer protection laws.