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Article: BROWNLEE RETELLS EVENTS THAT LED TO PURDUE PLEA
- Article from:
- Roanoke Times & World News
- Article date:
- August 1, 2007
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 2007 Roanoke Times & World News. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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A high-ranking Justice Department official who suggested that U.S.
Attorney John Brownlee be fired had earlier tangled with the
prosecutor over his sweeping investigation of a drug company,
Brownlee said Tuesday.
In testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee, Brownlee described
receiving a call at home the night of Oct. 24 from Michael Elston,
then chief of staff for the deputy attorney general.
At the time, Brownlee's Roanoke-based office was on the verge of
completing a plea agreement in which Purdue Pharma would pay $634.5
million in fines for overpromoting its top-selling product, the
prescription painkiller OxyContin.
Elston said he had been talking to attorneys for Purdue about ...