Matt Gaetz's Question to Hunter Biden Did Not Go According to Plan

Hunter Biden bit back at Republican Matt Gaetz after the Florida congressman asked him about his drug use.

The Context

During a behind-closed-doors deposition for the impeachment inquiry into his father, President Joe Biden, on February 28, Gaetz asked Hunter Biden: "Were you on drugs when you were on the Burisma board?" Hunter Biden was a director on the board of Burisma, a Ukrainian energy company.

What We Know

According to a transcript, Hunter Biden responded by asking: "Mr. Gaetz, look me in the eye. You really think that's appropriate to ask me?"

After Gaetz insisted he thought that it was appropriate, Hunter Biden added: "Of all the people sitting around this table, do you think that's appropriate to ask me?"

The House Ethics Committee announced an investigation into Gaetz in 2021 that said it was investigating if Gaetz engaged in sex crimes and drug use. Gaetz has vehemently denied the allegations.

Newsweek has approached Hunter Biden's lawyer Abbe Lowell for comment via email.

Hunter Biden has been candid about his drug addiction and 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?"

Gaetz and the president's son continued their exchange, discussing a question from Gaetz of if it ever affected Hunter Biden's business activities.

"Were you a high-functioning addict while you were on the Burisma board?" Gaetz asked.

Hunter Biden responded that he had been a high-functioning addict at points, but that this was not the case "the entire time."

At other points during the testimony, the 54-year-old told the lawmaker he was "drunk and probably high" in reference to a mention of his father in a WhatsApp message sent to a Chinese associate.

"My father was not sitting next to me. My father had no awareness," he said. "My father had no awareness of the business that I was doing. My father never benefited from any of the business that I was doing."

The deposition lasted for over seven hours and Hunter Biden said his father "never received a cent from anybody or never benefited in any way."

Following the hearing, Gaetz told reporters, according to CNN, that "we're asking questions about these corrupt business practices."

He added: "I'm not really framing that through the lens of next steps. I'm just trying to get the facts."

Gaetz told Newsweek: "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. I believe my questioning exposed how absurd this veneer to the bribery scheme was."

No evidence of wrongdoing by the Bidens has been uncovered

During the testimony, Hunter Biden also said the impeachment inquiry investigation was based on a lack of evidence.

"You do not have evidence," he told the House Oversight Committee. He added: "For more than a year, your committees have hunted me in your partisan political pursuit of my dad."

Republican-led House Oversight Committee Chair Rep. James Comer told reporters after the hearing that there were "some contradictory statements that I think need further review."

Before the testimony, Comer had said: "We're deposing Hunter Biden because he's a key witness in our investigation of Joe Biden."

Hunter Biden had refused a closed-door meeting, defying his subpoena, until Wednesday.

Update 03/01/24, 11:57 a.m. ET: This article was updated to include comment from Matt Gaetz.