CHARLESTON — West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey's office is partnering with state Auditor J.B. McCuskey’s office to supplement efforts to ensure opioid settlement money is used for intended purposes.
The offices are sending letters to the state’s cities and counties to provide information and guidance to assist as they begin to receive and plan to spend their share of the opioid settlement money.
“This is another layer in the checks and balances to make sure the money from settlements are used in the best possible way, to attack the opioid scourge head-on,” Morrisey said in a press release. “I am pleased to partner with the state Auditor’s Office to bring its proven track record of transparency, accountability and service to local governments to amplify the collaborative effort between the Attorney General’s Office and local governments around the state.”
McCuskey
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The West Virginia First Memorandum of Understanding created the first plan of action to address the opioid crisis and was the first step toward healing the battered communities in this state. Morrisey's office says the MOU details the allocation method for any settlement funds or judgments received as a result of the various lawsuits against opioid manufacturers, distributors and other parties in the pharmaceutical supply chain.
The newly-formed West Virginia First Foundation will receive 72.5% of all settlement and judgment dollars. Another 24.5% will go directly to local governments, while 3% will be held in escrow by the state.
Local governments will have broad discretion to decide which approved uses are best to spend their share of the settlement money. The AG's office says the partnership with the Auditor’s Office will ensure that not only the terms of the settlement are met but also provide additional resources for local governments as they put these money to use fighting the opioid epidemic.
