SWEET DEAL

Pharma Group Disputes Rep. Price’s Testimony, Says He Got Stock Discounts

HHS pick got special discount, company says.

An Australian pharmaceutical company says Rep. Tom Price received a privileged discount on its stocks, contradicting the Republican lawmaker’s own testimony during a confirmation hearing earlier this month, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday. Price, a Georgia Republican and President Donald Trump's pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, testified before Congress that the discounted stocks he purchased from pharmaceutical group Innate Immunotherapeutics Ltd. “were available to every single individual that was an investor at the time.” But the company told the Journal that Price was among a handful of American investors offered the 12-percent discount. Price testified that he learned of the discount from friend and fellow congressman Rep. Chris Collins, a New York Republican who is a company director and the largest shareholder for the Australian pharmaceutical group. During his congressional testimony earlier this month, Price maintained that the stocks were not a "sweetheart deal." Since he bought the shares at their discounted rate in summer 2016, their value has reportedly tripled. Price's office did not comment on the Journal's report, but referred to Price's previous claims that he disclosed all of his stock holdings.