Controversies sur­round­ing the lethal drugs used in U.S. exe­cu­tions con­tin­ue to arise in many states. Documents obtained by the Associated Press reveal the secre­tive process in which the Delaware Department of Corrections obtained the drugs nec­es­sary for the its lethal injec­tion process. Delaware offi­cials solicit­ed the help of the state’s Economic Development Director, Alan Levin, in obtain­ing lethal injec­tion drugs after its pre­vi­ous sup­ply expired in 2005. Levin, the for­mer head of the Happy Harry’s drug­store chain, con­tact­ed the CEO of Cardinal Health Inc., a sup­pli­er of pen­to­bar­bi­tal. ​“I was hap­py to help facil­i­tate it,” said Levin, explain­ing that Happy Harry’s, which he sold in 2006 to Walgreen Co., had done busi­ness with Cardinal for a decade or more. ​“I under­stand the judi­cial sys­tem,” said Levin, a for­mer pros­e­cu­tor who added that he believes in the death penal­ty. DOC Commissioner Carl Danberg wrote in an e‑mail to key lieu­tenants, ​“This is NOT for dis­cus­sion or dis­tri­b­u­tion to any­one, includ­ing your own staff until we get a chance to dis­cuss… Emphasize that I do not want this dis­cussed yet. Certainly not until the drugs are on hand. I am not even telling the AG yet.” The batch of drugs was deliv­ered last June and was used in the lethal injec­tion of Shannon Johnson, who was exe­cut­ed on April 20.

(R. Chase, ​“How Delaware got rare exe­cu­tion drug,” Associated Press, April 22, 2012). See Lethal Injection. Listen to DPIC’s pod­cast on Lethal Injection.

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