The recent revelation that Rand Paul's wife invested in the maker of Remsvidir, just prior to the initial spread of the pandemic raises some scary questions. Like, "Are people profiting from the disinformation being spread along with the virus?"
The recent revelation that Rand Paul’s wife invested in Gilead Sciences, maker of Remsvidir, just prior to the initial spread of the pandemic raises some scary questions. First and foremost of these is “Are people profiting from the disinformation being spread along with the virus?”
From the Louisville Courier-Journal:
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., disclosed this week that his wife, Kelley, invested money early last year in Gilead Sciences, Inc., which produces remdesivir, an antiviral drug that has been used as a treatment for COVID-19…Gilead Sciences’ remdesivir has gotten U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorization to be used to treat COVID-19, although in fall 2020 the World Health Organization recommended against using it for hospitalized COVID-19 patients “as there is currently no evidence that remdesivir improves survival and other outcomes in these patients.”
Rand Paul has been extremely vocal in denying the danger of the Covid pandemic as well as railing against masks and vaccines. His recent videos got him banned from YouTube for disinformation on this subject. But with the new revelation that his wife holds shares in a company that made a purported treatment for the disease (the efficacy of remdesivir has now been debunked), one has to ask another question that border on hair-raising. Would more people sick with Covid raise the profit potential of Gilead? This paints his statements, and his attacks on one of the nations foremost proponents of prevention, Dr. Fauci, in a different light.
Cui Bono?
Cui bono?, in English means “to whom is it a benefit?” It is a Latin phrase about identifying crime suspects. It expresses the view that crimes are often committed to benefit their perpetrators, especially financially.
The financial implications of manipulating an investment position in a pharma or health related company are already troubling, but especially so when one factors in the access to confidential information available to Members of Congress.
We know from other revelations that Trump knew in early February how severe Covid could be. Members of Congress also received briefings, Rand Paul included. Now here we are 16 months later and he just “realized” he’d forgotten to transmit the disclosure statement detailing his wife’s investment. In the weeks following her investment Gilead/s stock reached a 5-year high.
Profiting from the Pandemic: The Pauls Are Not Alone
Rand Paul and his wife are by no means the only insiders to have made questionable decisions during the pandemic. The story of then Senator Kelly Loeffler’s trades circulated in the media for some time with no follow through from the Barr DOJ. Senator Richard Burr was under investigation for questionable stock trades until the DOJ ended it just the day before President Biden was sworn in. Also on the list were Jim Inhofe (R OK) and even Diane Feinstein (D CA). There are actually too many instances to note. You get the idea.
It is not just Members of Congress that took out financial advantage positions. Bob Woodward travels in this same boat of corruption by refusing to release recorded evidence that Trump knew of the dangers of Covid in early February of 2020 and subsequently lied about it.
The idea that the lives of others are worth the acquisition of personal profit is the lowest of lows. Various people in this country have gone there many times in the past. Witness the genocide visited upon the native residents of this continent, the victims of falsely started wars and the blatant refusal of Republicans to engage in any discussion of an actual healthcare plan that does not involve profiteering by pharma and medical interests. All of these are indications that the lives of others only mean something if profit is not involved. If this comes across as a scathing indictment, that is the intent. If only it were not an understatement.
Update
The story broke today that the hedge fund Cititadel, owned by the top donor to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis—who has been promoting Regeneron (a monoclonal antibody treatment for Covid-19)—owns shares in Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (REGN). Shares in this company have been rising significantly and consistently.
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