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Star Scientific CEO Jonnie Williams resigns, company changes name

AFP

You won’t have Star Scientific or its CEO, Jonnie Williams, to kick around anymore. Williams has resigned as CEO, and the company is changing its name to Rock Creek Pharmaceuticals.

newspaperBut the legal issues continue for both the company and Williams, who is at the center of an investigation that all but brought down Gov. Bob McDonnell, whose family received more than $130,000 in loans and personal gifts from Williams.

Investigators continue to look into whether Williams and Star Scientific received anything in return for the loans and gifts. McDonnell’s lawyers reportedly staved off charges being lodged against the governor while he was still in office with a request that any criminal prosecution not interfere with the transfer of power from the Republican to Democrat Gov.-elect Terry McAuliffe, but it’s still seen as likely that there will be charges forthcoming sometime next month.

According to its company website, Rock Creek Pharmaceuticals, as Star Scientific, has focused its research and development efforts on the utility of anatabine, an alkaloid found in tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, potatoes and tobacco, in decreasing an individual’s desire to smoke cigarettes or use other traditional tobacco products.

 
 




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