Good morning.
I'm here today to answer at a public hearing
any legitimate questions Chairman Comer and the House Oversight Committee
may have for me.
I'm here today to make sure that the House
Committee's illegitimate investigations of my family
did not proceed on distortions,
manipulated evidence and lies.
And I'm here today to acknowledge
that I've made mistakes in my life
and wasted opportunities and privileges I was afforded
for that I'm responsible for that
I'm accountable, and for that
I'm making amends.
But I'm also here today to correct how the mag
of Wright 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'm proud to have earned degrees from Georgetown University and
yet law school.
I'm proud of my legal career
and business career. I'm proud of my time serving on
a dozen different boards of directors.
And I'm proud of my efforts to forge global business
relationships.
For six years, mega Republicans,
including members of the House committees,
who are in a closed door session session right now,
have impugned my character, invaded my privacy,
attacked my wife, my children,
my family, and my friends.
They've ridiculed my struggle with addiction.
They belittled my recovery.
And they have tried to dehumanize me
all to embarrass and damage my father,
who has devoted his entire public life to service.
For six years, I've been the target
of the unrelenting Trump attack machine,
shouting Where's Hunter? Well, here's my answer.
I am here.
Let me state as clearly as I can
My father was not financially involved in my business,
Not as a practicing lawyer,
not as a board member of Burisma,
not in my partnership with a Chinese private businessman,
not in my investments at home nor abroad,
and certainly not as an artist.
During my battle with addiction,
my parents were there for me.
They literally saved my life.
They helped me in ways that I will never be
able to repay,
and of course, they would never expect me to.
And in the depths of my addiction,
I was extremely irresponsible with my finances.
But to suggest that is grounds for an impeachment inquiry
is beyond the absurd.
It's shameless.
There's no evidence to support the allegations that my father
was financially involved in my business
because it did not happen.
James Comer,
Jim Jordan, Jason Smith and their colleagues have distorted the
facts
by cherry picking lines from a bank statement,
manipulating texts I sent, editing the testimony of my friends
and former business partners,
and misstating personal information that was stolen from me.
There is no fairness or decency in what these Republicans
are doing.
They have lied over and over about every aspect of
my personal and professional life,
so much so that their lies have become the false
facts believed by too many people,
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 a non existent bribe.
They displayed naked photos of me
during an oversight hearing
and they have taken the light of my dad's love,
the light of my dad's love for me and presented
it as darkness.
They have no shame.
These same committee chairmen have engaged in unprecedented political interference
in what would have already been
a five year investigation of me.
Yet here I am, Mr.
Chairman,
taking up your offer. When you said
we can bring these people in for depositions or committee
hearings,
whichever they choose,
well, I've chosen. I am here to testify at a
public hearing today
to answer any of the committee's legitimate questions.
Republicans do not want
an open process where Americans can see their tactics,
expose their baseless inquiry, or hear what I have to
say.
What are they afraid of?
I'm here. I'm ready.