MADISON, Wis. — A new report revealed that Ron Johnson received thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from a giant pharmaceutical company after he tried blocking an investigation into their role in the opioid epidemic.

The Cap Times: Ron Johnson didn’t subpoena a drug manufacturer. Then it donated to his campaign

Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, while serving as chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee in 2018, declined to subpoena Teva Pharmaceuticals as part of a Democrat-led investigation of the drugmaker’s role in the opioid epidemic.

 In the months to follow, Teva would donate to both Johnson’s campaign and an affiliated PAC.

The subpoena would have been on behalf of former U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, a Missouri Democrat and ranking member of the committee who was leading a probe into several drug manufacturers and distributors exploring the companies’ role in the epidemic.

McCaskill accused Teva, which was voluntarily providing information as part of her inquiry, of “stonewalling” her work.

In May 2018, a spokeswoman for the Israeli drugmaker rejected that claim, telling Stat News the company had “worked with her to give her everything that she’s asked, minus a few things.”

McCaskill asked Johnson to issue a subpoena to Teva to compel the company to produce any omitted information. In a January 2018 letter, the senator from Wisconsin declined to do so, saying he wasn’t convinced the drug manufacturer wasn’t cooperating.

In the year and a half after the public disagreement between Johnson and McCaskill, Teva’s political action committee made two donations, totaling $3,500, to Johnson’s campaign and an affiliated PAC.

On Dec. 5, 2018, Teva donated $2,500 to Johnson’s leadership PAC, Strategy PAC.

For questions or assistance, please contact: Colin Schmies at [email protected] or 608-206-0476