Martin Shkreli invokes the 5th Amendment, acts like a dick before Congress

He pointed out that the proceeding was just about an “advertisement” for the lawmakers.

Eventually, the committee allowed Shkreli to leave the room, due to his refusal to answer any questions.

Mr Shkreli, dressed in a sports jacket and open-necked shirt, declined to answer questions four times as he was asked about buying Daraprim, the only approved drug for a rare and sometimes deadly parasitic infection, and raising its price more than 50-fold.

Lawmakers were prepared for this; Shkreli had earlier this week he planned to follow his lawyers’ advice and plead the Fifth. However, Democrats may be more embarrassed still because of another thing Shkreli has done with his money.

To prove a point, Congressman Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., asked Shkreli if he’d pronounced his name correctly. It was a made-for-TV courtroom interrogation, but Shkreli kept his mouth shut.

Even so, Shkreli could barely hide his disgust with the proceedings, smirking at the lawmakers’ questions and scowling as he rose to be sworn in.

Martin Shkreli smirked as Rep. Elijah Cummings berated the former drug CEO for operating a Ponzi-like scheme.

Does he wish to give any now?

During the hearing, Shkreli, whose youth and attitude have prompted some critics to label him “Pharmabro”, responded to questions by continuing to laugh, twirling a pencil and yawning. “Testimony from drug companies today will be the same, the difference today is we have looked beyond their smoke screen”, he added, referring to research by congressional investigators.

The 32-year-old, who found infamy after he raised the price of vital AIDS medication, invoked the Fifth Amendment and refused to answer any questions, before attacking his detractors as “imbeciles” on Twitter.

Chaffetz then tried a different tack, setting up Shkreli with a chance to defend himself.

“Do you think you’ve done anything wrong?” he asked.

“When you see egotistical behavior or narcissistic behavior sort of on steroids, it can be absolutely breathtaking”, Plante said, explaining this type of behavior he is displaying is a growing trend in society. “It’s called supply-demand. I got the supply and all you [expletive deleted] with HIV, you got the demand”, he said in one YouTube video from last September. Not all of your answers are going to subject you to incrimination you understand that, don’t you?

Now, this does not mean you should actually punch him. His then-company, Turing Pharmaceuticals, did not develop the drug; they bought the rights from the firm that did. “The First Amendment protects Mr. Shkreli’s right to post his opinion on Twitter that the Congress is populated by ‘imbeciles.’ This is classic political free speech”, said lawyer Paul Callan. He strums his guitar on YouTube and paid a reported $2 million for the only known copy of an album by the Wu-Tang Clan.

Chaffetz immediately shut him down.