Martin Shkreli, the drug entrepreneur who became a hated figure worldwide after his former company raised the price of a life-saving drug, did nothing to help his image today in front of a Congressional panel. After refusing to testify and pleading the Fifth, Shkreli took to Twitter to call the politicians “imbeciles.”
While Shkreli was at Turing Pharmaceuticals, he infamously raised the price of Daraprim, a drug that has been used for over 60 years, to $750 a year. He left the company in December when he was arrested on federal fraud charges. The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform called him to testify today as they investigate rising costs of medication.
Shkreli repeatedly used his Fifth Amendment right to not incriminate himself, following his attorney’s advice. The only time he answered a question was when South Carolina Rep. Trey Gowdy asked him if he was pronouncing his name correctly. Shkreli said, “yes,” which further annoyed Gowdy. As the New York Times notes, Gowdy said that proves that Shkreli could have answered questions that weren’t directly related to his indictment. Gowdy noted how Shkreli repeatedly gave interviews to the media.
“I intend to follow the advice of my counsel, not yours,” Shkreli responded.
Shkreli frequently smirked during the session and his behavior continued to take focus away from the main concern at hand. The government has been investigating the price increase of Daraprim and others. Howard B. Schiller, the interim CEO of Valeant, was also called to testify today. Valeant also obtained two drugs, which it then jacked the price up overnight.
After leaving the Capitol, Shkreli insulted the Congressmen who questioned him. “Hard to accept that these imbeciles represent the people in our government,” he wrote.