We have previously discussed how Jerry Kilgore is soft on Methamphetamines. We have also discussed how this might, just MIGHT, have something to do with his close ties to King Pharmaceuticals, which makes 6 (six) products that contain ingredients for making Meth. As we wrote in early September:
Not to draw any conclusions here, but isn?t it a bit, um, ?interesting? that Jerry Kilgore gets large amounts of money ($325,000 since 2002) from a man -- John M. Gregory - who profits greatly from the trade in Methamphetamines (the manufacture of which relies on an incredient found in SIX products that his company churns out)? Does Jerry Kilgore care more about John Gregory?s profits or a drug epidemic in Virginia? Unfortunately, the answer to this question ? based on Kilgore?s words and actions, not on any conjecture or wild guesses ? is obvious. THIS is the kind of leadership we can expect if we are crazy enough to elect Jerry Kilgore this November. Government by the big pharamaceuticals, of the big pharmaceuticals, and for the big pharmaceuticals.
Now comes word in today's Virginian-Pilot that King, "a top political donor to gubernatorial candidate Jerry W. Kilgore, agreed this week to pay $124.1 million to resolve claims it overcharged the government for drugs." According to the U.S. Justice Department, Jerry's buddies at King "engaged in 'systematic and widespread misreporting of its drug prices to the government' from 1994 through 2002."
The Kilgore campaign's response? Lame, of course: "John Gregory is an outstanding philanthropic Virginian who has chosen to support candidates who reflect his own faith-based beliefs," according to Kilgore spokesman Tim Murtaugh. Well, excuse me, but since when was being soft on a drug epidemic and overcharging the government by over $100 million representative of "faith-based beliefs?" Faith in WHAT, the power of campaign contributions to buy influence in high places while keeping your company out of legal trouble? Faith that your rich, right-wing buddies will help you get elected Governor of Virginia? Is that the kind of faith Tim Murtaugh is talking about when it comes to John Gregory and Jerry Kilgore?
Finally, before my right-wing "friends" pounce (hell, I know they will anyway!), I want to point out (voluntarily, just like Kilgore's Meth Watch program - ha ha) that two other pharmaceutical companies -- GlaxoSmithKline and Eli Lilly -- have "faced federal scrutiny for their marketing practices." I want to also point out that these companies have given money BOTH to Jerry Kilgore ($30,000 total) AND to Tim Kaine ($3,000, plus $15,000 to a pro-Democratic PAC). In other words, there's plenty of dirty campaign money floating around.
Having done my ethical blogger duty and mentioned these facts, I want to strongly emphasize that the Kilgore campaign has received BY FAR the largest wads of money from the dregs of the dregs in this campaign: King Pharmaceuticals; Bob Perry of Swift Boat, lawsuit "reform" and Tom DeLay fame; Koch Industries of "97 felony counts," cancer-causing chemical, and exploding gas pipeline fame; anti-Muslim bigot and overall right-wing extremist Pat Robertson; and illegal-immigrant employing/abusing Smithfield Foods.
Has Kilgore ever returned any of these dirty campaign contributions? Has he ever discussed the hypocrisy of his "voluntary" Meth Watch program, or his illegal-immigrant bashing, while taking large sums of money from -- or even serving as a LOBBYIST for -- such companies? Has he ever denounced the bigoted remarks or despicable behavior by individuals like Pat Robertson and Bob Perry? Of course not! Maybe that's because Jerry "trusts the people," as long as those "people" happen to be super-rich folks who give him super-large sums of money. Or maybe this is just the way Jerry was raised by his Momma Willie Mae, now being sued for $200,000 and under investigation for voter fraud as Scott County Registrar of Voters.
Jerry Kilgore: corruption, questionable campaign cash, AND incompetence all in one package. Go Jerry!