Read Hunter Biden’s statement outside Capitol Hill in full

Hunter Biden arrived on Capitol Hill Wednesday morning to deliver a five-minute statement denouncing a Republican investigation into his finances as part of a larger impeachment inquiry into his father, President Joe Biden.

Hunter defied a congressional subpoena to appear for a closed-door deposition, saying he would only appear in public, and stating that his father “was not financially involved in my business.”

After his statement, Hunter Biden did not answer questions and got back into his waiting SUV to leave.

Here is his full statement:

Good morning. I am here today to answer any legitimate questions that Chairman (James) Comer and the House Oversight Committee have for me at a public hearing.

I am here today to ensure that the House committee's unlawful investigation into my family does not stem from distortions, tampered evidence, and lies. And I am here today to acknowledge that I have made mistakes in my life and squandered the opportunities and privileges that were afforded me. I am responsible for that. I am responsible for that. And for that I am making amends.

But I'm also here today to correct how the MAGA right has portrayed me for their political purposes. I am first and foremost a son, a father, a brother and a husband from a loving and supportive family. I am proud to have degrees from Georgetown University and Yale Law School. I am proud of my legal and business career. I am proud of the time I have served on a dozen different boards. And I am proud of my efforts to build global business relationships.

For six years, MAGA Republicans, including members of the House committees currently behind closed doors, have questioned my character, violated my privacy, attacked my wife, my children, my family, and my friends. They have ridiculed my struggle with addiction, they have belittled my recovery, and they have attempted to dehumanize me, all to embarrass and damage my father, who has dedicated his entire public life to service.

For six years I have been the target of Trump's relentless attack machine screaming, “Where's the hunter?” Well, here's my answer, I'm here. Let me say as clearly as possible: my father was not financially involved in my company, not as a practicing lawyer, not as a board member of Burisma, not in my partnership with the Chinese private businessman, not in my investments at home and abroad and certainly not as an artist.

During my battle with addiction, my parents were there for me. They literally saved my life. They have helped me in ways that I will never be able to repay, and of course they would never expect me to.

In the depths of my addiction, I was extremely irresponsible with my finances, but to suggest that this is grounds for an impeachment inquiry is beyond absurd. It's shameless. There is no evidence to support the allegations that my father was financially involved in my business because this did not happen.

James Comer, Jim Jordan, Jason Smith and their colleagues distorted the facts by selecting lines from a bank statement, manipulating texts I sent, editing the testimonials of my friends and former business partners, and misrepresenting personal information stolen from me. to report. .

There is no honesty or decency in what these Republicans are doing. They have lied again and again about every aspect of my personal and professional life, so much so that their lies have become the false facts that too many people believed. No matter how many times it is debunked, they continue to insist that my father's support of Ukraine against Russia is the result of non-existent bribery. They showed nude photos of me at an Oversight hearing. And they have presented the light of my father's love, the light of my father's love for me, as darkness.

They have no shame. These same committee chairs have engaged in unprecedented political interference in what would have already been a five-year investigation into me, and yet here I am, Mr. Chairman, taking you up on your offer when you said we can bring these people in for statements or committee meetings. hearings, whatever they choose.

Well, I chose. I am here today to testify at a public hearing to answer any legitimate questions the committee may have. Republicans don't want an open process where Americans can see their tactics, expose their baseless investigations, or hear what I have to say. What are they afraid of? I'm here. I'm ready.