WASHINGTON — When Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz took a jab at Hunter Biden's struggle with addiction, it didn't sit well with a Georgia counterpart.
During Thursday's televised House Judiciary Committee impeachment proceedings, The Washington Post says the republican lawmaker described the former vice president's son as "dirty" and declared he was unqualified for a job with a Ukrainian gas company.
For background: Hunter Biden had been making $50,000 for the job without having any obvious experience for that specific sort of role. That led GOP lawmakers to suggest he was only hired because of his dad's position in the Obama administration.
As the newspaper explains, Gaetz -- an outspoken defender of President Donald Trump -- had been in the middle of trying to amend the impeachment articles to remove Joe Biden's name and add his son's name when he made a comment that didn't sit well with everyone in the room.
“I don’t want to make light of anybody’s substance abuse issues. I know the president is working real hard to solve those throughout the country,” video shows Gaetz said. “But it’s a little hard to believe that [Burisma Holdings] hired Hunter Biden to resolve their international disputes when he could not resolve his own dispute with Hertz rental car over leaving cocaine and a crack pipe in the car.”
Georgia Democratic Rep. Hank Johnson didn't take the remark well.
“I would say that the pot calling the kettle black is not something that we should do,” said Rep. Johnson.
Johnson's comment appeared to be a reference to Gaetz's own struggles, specifically a 2008 arrest for driving under the influence.
“I don’t know what members -- if any -- have had any problems with substance abuse, been busted in DUI,” Johnson remarked in Gaetz's general direction. “...if I did, I wouldn’t raise it against anyone on this committee. I don’t think it’s proper.”
Gaetz was stopped more than a decade ago while driving home from a Florida nightclub. He was 26 and wasn't convicted, although critics questioned if he was given preferential treatment because his dad, Don Gaetz, was a state senator at the time of the incident.
Earlier this year, Congressman Gaetz apologized after being criticized for tweeting what CBS News reports some considered a threat against Michael Cohen before the ex-Trump lawyer's public testimony.
"It was NOT my intent to threaten, as some believe I did. I'm deleting the tweet & I should have chosen words that better showed my intent. I'm sorry," Rep. Gaetz wrote at the time.
The Florida Bar opened an investigation into the Cohen tweet. But, Gaetz was later cleared in the matter.
"The Florida Bar grievance committee that investigated the case found no probable cause to believe that Gaetz violated any of the Rules Regulating The Florida Bar," State Bar Spokeswoman Francine Walker told CNN.
The Bar did, however, warn him not to do it again.
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