Hunter Biden and Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) got into a tense exchange during a closed-door deposition on Wednesday after the Florida congressman asked him about using drugs.
Hunter sat for a closed-door deposition as part of the House impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. Republicans have accused Biden of benefiting from and being influenced by Hunter’s foreign business dealings while serving as vice-president.
They are yet to provide any evidence to support their claim.
At Wednesday’s deposition, Gaetz questioned Hunter about his work on the board of Ukrainian energy company Burisma and asked the younger Biden–a recovering drug addict–if he was using drugs.
“Were you on drugs when you were serving as the Burisma board member?” Gaetz asked, according to the transcript of the deposition.
Biden’s attorney Abbe Lowell objected to Gaetz question, noting “it’s outside the scope. It certainly has no relevance to an impeachment inquiry nor does it have anything to do with oversight of ethics legislation that may address family members of Presidents or Vice Presidents. So go at it, but it’s outside the scope and you’re wasting your time.”
“Were you on drugs when you were on the Burisma board?” Gaetz repeated.
“Mr. Gaetz, look me in the eye. You really think that’s appropriate to ask me?” Hunter asked.
“Absolutely,” Gaetz said.
“Of all the people sitting around this table, do you think that’s appropriate to ask me?” Hunter responded
“Yeah. Are you going to answer it?” Gaetz shot back.
“I will answer it this way: I have been absolutely transparent about my drug use,” Hunter responded. “Again, I spoke to you all earlier this morning about that. I’m sorry; I’m an addict. I was an addict. I have been in recovery for over 4 and a half years now, Mr. Gaetz. I work really, really hard at it. Let me answer. I work really hard at it, under an enormous amount of pressure. Was I an addict? Yes, I was an addict. What does that have to do with whether or not you’re going to go forward with an impeachment of my father other than to simply try to embarrass me?”
Gaetz has been accused of attending exclusive parties in Orlando, Florida where guest mingled and shared drugs like cocaine and ecstasy, according to CNN.
Hunter’s work on the board of Burisma is at the heart of House Republicans impeachment effort. Former FBI informant, Alexander Smirnov, claimed the company had paid Joe and Hunter Biden $5 million each as a bribe to get rid of a prosecutor who was allegedly investigating the company while the elder Biden was serving as vice-president.
Smirnov was arrested earlier this month for lying to the FBI and told investigators that he received information from Russian intelligence operatives about Hunter.
