During a closed-door deposition, Rep. Matt Gaetz questioned Hunter Biden about his past drug use while serving on the board of a Ukrainian energy company.
When Gaetz asked if Biden was on drugs at the time, Biden responded by looking Gaetz in the eye and asking if that was an appropriate question.
“Were you on drugs when you were on the Burisma board?” Gaetz asked.
“Mr. Gaetz, look me in the eye. You really think that’s appropriate to ask me?” Biden said.
Gaetz affirmed it was. Biden then asked Gaetz directly if, out of all the people there, he thought it was appropriate to ask him that.
Their exchange was tense and comes after past reports of Gaetz attending parties where drugs were used, though he has denied such claims.
“Absolutely,” Gaetz said.
“Of all the people sitting around this table, do you think that’s appropriate to ask me?” Biden asked.
“When Hunter Biden was getting paid, he claimed to be a brilliant lawyer and financial wizard. When he was asking to get paid – often through shakedowns, threats, and references to his father – he claimed to be a drug-addled fool,” Gaetz said. “I believe my questioning exposed how absurd this veneer to the bribery scheme was.”
Biden noted that he has been transparent about his past struggle with drug addiction.
He told Gaetz he had been an addict but questioned what his drug use had to do with impeaching Biden’s father, saying Gaetz seemed intent on embarrassing him.
“I will answer it this way: I have been absolutely transparent about my drug use,” Hunter said.
“Was I an addict? Yes, I was an addict,” Hunter said. “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?”
Their confrontation over Biden’s drug history was part of the GOP’s investigation into Hunter Biden’s business dealings.
