Hunter Biden testified for seven hours in a closed-door deposition with House Republicans investigating his father President Joe Biden.
Republicans have accused Hunter of profiting improperly from his work with Ukrainian gas company Burisma while his father was Vice President, and claim this amounted to a conflict of interest.
However, Hunter insisted he was qualified for the Burisma board position based on his experience and education.
He confronted Republicans, arguing his background exceeded theirs and questioning whether they took issue with business deals involving Trump officials.
Hunter said, “You guys have gone out and said I had no credibility, no ― that there’s no way that I should’ve been serving on the board of Burisma.”
He said, “I just read you my resume.”
Hunter Biden said, “I’d put my resume up against any of you, in terms of my responsibility.”
Hunter Biden said, “I don’t know anybody that was, at that time, that was teaching the No. 1 rated course at Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service in the master’s program in terms of foreign policy and advocacy.”
“I literally was on 17 ― like, 12 different boards. I only listed like, you know, 10 of them. And so I had an enormous amount of reasons to be on it,” said Hunter Biden.
“When Jared Kushner flies over to Saudi Arabia, picks up $2 billion, comes back, and puts it in his pocket, OK, and he is running for president of the United States, you guys have any problem with that?” asked Hunter.
While Republicans pressed Hunter about his past addiction issues, he maintained they did not interfere with his work.
Hunter said, “Mr. Gaetz, look me in the eye. You really think that’s appropriate to ask me?”
“Absolutely,” said Rep. Matt Gaetz.
Biden said, “Of all the people sitting around this table, do you think that’s appropriate to ask me?”
“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?” asked Hunter Biden.
“I can guarantee you, at least 30% of the people that you serve with suffer from alcoholism,” said Biden.
He asked, “Do you think it’s incumbent upon them, if they suffer from alcoholism, that they immediately resign?”
He denied any impropriety or that his father intervened on Burisma’s behalf.
Biden said, “My responsibilities were like any other board member, to attend board meetings, to be aware of what the management was doing to try to strive for, you know, accountability, transparency, openness in terms of the reporting, to go through the financials and make certain that the financials were certified by a [certified public accountant].”
Hunter said, “I know there was never a phone call to my father. I can say that under oath.”
With their key witness against Hunter now indicted, his attorney asserts it is time for the partisan inquiry to end.
