I've seen many people on Twitter say, this past week (including some MSM journalists), that old Marty was treated unfairly, compared to Elizabeth Holmes' SEC "no additional charges" deal, from her deplorable conduct while heading Theranos. Just a few observations then, if I may. . . .
First, she is cooperating -- and diming out Sunny. She is not forcing the government to spend the enormous resources required to try her, for what it can already establish: fraud.
Second, and perhaps more provocatively, her fake blood test on a chip never reached a mass market -- FDA rightly stopped that. Finally, there is no evidence that any patient was harmed -- let alone died -- from her clearly mendacious and greedy decisions (investors were harmed, of course). Mr. Shkreli? Just about the opposite, on all the relevant dimensions. . . .
So, as we await the unsolicited letters' release, by the court -- as I promised, since Friday has come and gone, without them. . .
Here are Judge Matsumoto's remarks -- in full -- at sentencing, about at least one of those letters.
To be clear, the able judge indicated the letter did not play any role in the analysis that led to the length of his sentence, or his facility placement -- but she wanted to acknowledge the author, and the real harm Marty caused -- since people literally died as a direct result of his disgusting, inhumane price gouging. [It may also properly count toward the amount of cash and property he ultimately forfeits.] On the record, then, in a US District Courtroom sentencing proceeding, the able Judge Kiyo Matsumoto said the following:
. . . .On the other hand, I have received some letters from individuals and organizations that describe the negative impact of Mr. Shkreli’s actions regarding pharmaceutical drug pricing. . . .
Most notably, I received a set of letters from. . . charitable organizations that work with individuals with HIV/AIDS in which they advocate for the Government’s proposed order of forfeiture in this case. . . .
One letter, from Dr. Philip Bolduc of the University of Massachusetts Medical School, states that due to Mr. Shkreli’s decision to sell the drug Daraprim for an exorbitant price, the drug is not covered by some insurance plans. Dr. Bolduc writes that they lost a patient to septic shock because of the unavailability of Daraprim due to what Dr. Bolduc characterized as Mr. Shkreli’s mendacity and greed. . . .
Indeed. Me?
I personally hope that during his long nights in prison, while unable to sleep, and awaiting dawn, Mr. Shkreli will be visited by the drawn, gaunt, agonized faces -- of the hundreds of thousands of people around the world, living through the end stages of a battle with HIV, and AIDS -- and that those who lose that battle, while in a sepsis-induced state, will speak to him, and regularly so -- of the needless agony they endured, as they died -- without access to Daraprim. And let them do it -- directly into Marty's ear. All night long -- without interruption.
That my friends, is his true karma. And it is a wheel. It is coming back 'round -- for him.
[Unrelated Update: I should mention that 45's latest letter, purporting to stop transgender enlistment in the military, is of no lawful force or authority. The matter will be decided in the federal courts, where, at present, his earlier pronouncements have been. . . that's right -- enjoined. He's dead stick. Literally. GO OUT, march for our lives, now, one and all!]
नमस्ते
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