Shkreli to remain silent at House pharma hearing

Former drug company executive Martin Shkreli’s much-anticipated appearance on Capitol Hill next week may be a let-down.

Shkreli, who has become a nationwide poster child for greed after he hiked the price of one drug 5,000 percent overnight, has been ordered by the House Oversight Committee to appear at a hearing Tuesday.  

{mosads}But Shkreli’s lawyer told committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) this week that the former drug company executive plans to plead the Fifth Amendment and will remain silent if he is forced to appear, according to a report by Reuters.

“Your attempt to subvert my constitutional right to the 5th amendment are disgusting & insulting to all Americans,” Shkreli tweeted, specifically calling out the committee’s top Democrat, Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.).

Shkreli is choosing not to testify to protect himself against self-incrimination related to separate federal charges he is facing for securities fraud.

The former drug executive told another committee, the Senate Special Committee on Aging, on Wednesday that he will not testify in its investigation, either. The leader of that probe, Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) blasted his refusal on the Senate floor, arguing it represents an admission of guilt.

“To be clear, Mr. Shkreli is essentially arguing that the very act of producing the documents … may incriminate him,” Collins said.

The Oversight Committee first disclosed on Wednesday that it had subpoenaed Shkreli, though he had not said whether he would comply.

There are also questions about Shkreli’s legal ability to attend the hearing: A federal judge has restricted him from leaving New York City as part of his bail, according to a release order filed in federal court

The 32-year-old “pharma bro” took to Twitter to mock the committee’s request. “Found this letter, looks important,” he tweeted with a photo of the request.