Hunter Biden’s closed-door testimony before the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday led to sparks between Biden and committee member Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) when the Florida congressman asked about drug usage by the president’s son, according to a transcript of the hearing.
Gaetz began by asking Biden, “Were you on drugs when you were on the Burisma board?”
Biden responded, “Mr. Gaetz, look me in the eye. You really think that’s appropriate to ask me?”
Gaetz, “Absolutely.”
“Of all the people sitting around this table,” Biden said, “do you think that’s appropriate to ask me?”
Biden’s comment was a reference to an ongoing House Ethics Committee investigation of Gaetz for alleged drug use and sex with underage girls who were reportedly transported across state lines.
“I will answer it this way,” Biden told Gaetz. “I have been absolutely transparent about my drug use. 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?”
It remains to be seen if the House Ethics Committee will release the results of its investigation of Gaetz before the November election. The report could result in the congressman being booted from Congress.
A federal criminal investigation of Gaetz for sex trafficking ended in 2023 when the Justice Department declined to charge him with any crimes related to his actions, NBC News reported at the time.
Prosecutors had spent months investigating Gaetz’s personal conduct and, specifically, allegations that he was part of a scheme that led to the sex trafficking of a 17-year-old girl. At the core of their investigation was testimony from a former Gaetz associate, Joel Greenberg, who worked as a Florida tax collector.
