Nevada’s Attorney General Aaron Ford held a press conference on Wed., Jul. 5, to pat himself on the back for recovering $1.1 billion in funds from several opioid lawsuit settlements. It prompted me to look at how they are spending the money.
It took me a while, but I found a non-state of Nevada website that broke down the numbers, and though I suck at math, even I could tell there was a problem between the $1.1 figure and that being spent.
Here’s the article I wrote:
Questions Over Missing $56 Million in Opioid Recovery Funds
The Nevada Attorney General’s Office is under scrutiny as questions arise regarding the whereabouts of $56-plus million from the state’s opioid recovery funds.
The Advisory Committee for a Resilient Nevada, responsible for establishing priorities and overseeing the allocation of funds from opioid litigation, has allocated less than 44 percent of the total $1.1 Billion recovered to various categories. However, the disposition of the remaining 56-plus million remains unclear, raising concerns and prompting inquiries into managing the opioid recovery program.
The Advisory Committee, signed into law by Governor Steve Sisolak on Fri., Jun. 4, 2021, was established to distribute funds to address the impact of the opioid crisis. However, during a press conference on Wed., Jul. 5, Nevada State Attorney General Aaron Ford said nothing about the absent $56-plus million.
The breakdown of the funds provided for the known categories is as follows:
- Law enforcement and criminal justice: 6 percent ($2.64 Million)
- Medical and social service providers: 35 percent ($15.4 Million)
- Public health and human services: 29 percent ($12.76 Million)
- Private health and human services: 12 percent ($5.28 Million)
- Lived or shared experience: 18 percent ($7.92 Million)
The absence of information regarding the allocation of these funds raises concerns about transparency and the proper management of the opioid recovery program.
It took me no time to craft the article, but I sat on it because I had not heard back from the Attorney General’s Office. Finally, I concluded I was not getting a return call, so I submitted my story for publication on Fri., Jul. 21.
Because I got a hair up my ass, I decided to send a picture of the article to Sigal Chattah, Attorney at Law, through Twitter. I also sent the same to AG Ford directly.
That woke the beast up because within an hour, I got a response from Ford’s communication director:
“Tom, if you had reached out to me I would have happily explained anything you would’ve liked to know about the state’s opioid recoveries. There are no questions about the whereabouts of any of this money.”
I returned with my only answer: “No one returned my call.”
However, I got two more comments from the communication director.
“I am also not sure what money you’re referring to, as you jump from a reference to 44% to a reference to the “remaining” $56 million. The money from these settlements will be dispensed over years, the exact number of which depends on which settlement.”
The second one is an implied threat:
“Again, would’ve happily explained had you emailed me. Please do not misconstrue our office’s work or hint at allegations which do not reflect reality.”
There must be some wrong-doing amid the numbers as I got under someone’s skin.
The Old Blog in the Desert 