DRUGS/JUSTICE DEPARTMENT/PHARMA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump’s plan to fight the opioid epidemic will call for the death penalty in some cases, White House officials said Sunday [3-18-18], scaling back the administration’s plan to punish drug dealers.
‘The Department of Justice will seek the death penalty against drug traffickers when appropriate under current law,’ said Andrew Bremberg, the White House’s director of the Domestic Policy Council. White House officials referred follow-up questions to DOJ.
An earlier version of the plan, obtained by POLITICO last week, would have called for the death penalty in some cases involving drug dealers, too.
Trump will announce his opioid plan on his visit to New Hampshire on Monday [3-19-18]. POLITICO first reported on Thursday [3-15-18] that the White House was finalizing its opioid plan, which includes a mix of administration actions and initiatives that would require new funds or laws from Congress.”
–Dan Diamond, “White House tweaks plan to seek death penalty as part of opioid response,” Politico online, Mar. 18, 2018, 6:41pm