WASHINGTON — The lawyer representing Martin Shkreli, the former biotech executive charged with securities fraud, has asked that his client be excused from testifying at a congressional hearing next week because he plans to invoke the Fifth Amendment, according to a letter.
In the letter, sent Wednesday to Shkreli’s attorney, Baruch Weiss, House Oversight Chairman Jason Chaffetz, a Republican from Utah, said Shkreli can’t invoke the Fifth Amendment, particularly for questions not related to his indictment.
Shkreli is charged with securities fraud and conspiracy in a case stemming from one of his previous drug companies. House lawmakers want to question Shkreli about his decision as CEO of Turing Pharmaceuticals to increase the price of Daraprim, the only approved drug for a rare and sometimes deadly parasitic infection, by 5,000 percent. He resigned from Turing last month after his arrest.
Shkreli hasn’t sought leave to travel to Washington, as required by his bail agreement, so he can comply with the subpoena to testify before Congress, according to a statement Thursday from Rep.Elijah Cummings of Maryland, the top Democrat on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.
