'Pharma Bro' Martin Shkreli jailed after offering money for Hillary Clinton's hair
Martin Shkreli, the so-called "Pharma Bro" famous for jacking up the price of an AIDS drug by 5,000 percent but convicted of defrauding investors during his time as a hedge fund manager, was jailed Wednesday after a federal judge revoked his $5 million bail.
Prosecutors argued that Shkreli, who is set to be sentenced later this fall, has been spending his time harassing women online, notably when he announced on social media he would give $5,000 to anyone who got a strand of Hillary Clinton's hair. Shkreli apologized, and said he wasn't being serious. "He does not need to apologize to me," U.S. District Judge Kiyo Matsumoto said. "He should have apologized to the government, the Secret Service, and Hillary Clinton. This is a solicitation of assault. That is not protected by the First Amendment."
An attorney for Shkreli said his client's comments were "stupid," but his "political hyperbole" was protected by the Constitution and he is not a danger to society. (The Justice Department disagrees with that last part.) Shkreli was taken into custody after the hearing, and will remain in jail until his sentencing hearing. He faces up to 20 years in prison.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
The elite falcon trade in the Middle EastUnder the Radar Popularity of the birds of prey has been ‘soaring’ despite doubts over the legality of sourcing and concerns for animal welfare
-
A running list of the international figures Donald Trump has pardonedin depth The president has grown bolder in flexing executive clemency powers beyond national borders
-
Mixed nuts: RFK Jr.’s new nutrition guidelines receive uneven reviewsTalking Points The guidelines emphasize red meat and full-fat dairy
-
‘One Battle After Another’ wins Critics Choice honorsSpeed Read Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest film, which stars Leonardo DiCaprio, won best picture at the 31st Critics Choice Awards
-
Son arrested over killing of Rob and Michele ReinerSpeed Read Nick, the 32-year-old son of Hollywood director Rob Reiner, has been booked for the murder of his parents
-
Rob Reiner, wife dead in ‘apparent homicide’speed read The Reiners, found in their Los Angeles home, ‘had injuries consistent with being stabbed’
-
Hungary’s Krasznahorkai wins Nobel for literatureSpeed Read László Krasznahorkai is the author of acclaimed novels like ‘The Melancholy of Resistance’ and ‘Satantango’
-
Primatologist Jane Goodall dies at 91Speed Read She rose to fame following her groundbreaking field research with chimpanzees
-
Florida erases rainbow crosswalk at Pulse nightclubSpeed Read The colorful crosswalk was outside the former LGBTQ nightclub where 49 people were killed in a 2016 shooting
-
Trump says Smithsonian too focused on slavery's illsSpeed Read The president would prefer the museum to highlight 'success,' 'brightness' and 'the future'
-
Trump to host Kennedy Honors for Kiss, StalloneSpeed Read Actor Sylvester Stallone and the glam-rock band Kiss were among those named as this year's inductees
