Hunter Biden’s art dealer confirms Democratic donors as top spenders on his artwork
Hunter Biden’s Art Dealer Confirms Democratic Donors Purchased Majority of His Art
Hunter Biden’s art dealer, Georges Berges, confirmed during a transcribed interview with congressional investigators that Democratic donors have purchased the majority of the president’s son’s art.
Berges’s testimony with the House Oversight Committee staff, which is conducting the impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden, comes after reports that a major democratic donor purchased artwork from Hunter Biden both before and after being appointed to a prestigious board by the president.
The donor, Elizabeth Hirsh Naftali, purchased $42,000 worth of art from the president’s son in February 2021 before she was appointed to the Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad by Joe Biden in July 2022. Months later, in December 2022, Naftali would purchase more art from Biden for $52,000.
Naftali wasn’t the only Democratic donor to purchase Hunter Biden’s art. Berges confirmed that Kevin Morris, a Democratic donor, bought Hunter Biden’s art for $875,000, according to a source. IRS whistleblower documents also reveal that Morris gave $4.9 million in loans to Hunter Biden from 2020 to 2022.
According to a source familiar with the transcribed interview, Berges testified that democratic donors have spent the most money on Hunter Biden’s art but did not necessarily buy the most pieces in total. The art dealer also claimed that the Democratic donors were not targeted and that most of the individual buyers were not donors, a second source with direct knowledge of the interview said.
While two of the donors in question had ties to Biden and the Democratic Party, Berges said that he had no communication with the White House about Hunter Biden’s art, according to the two sources.
“The gallerist will not share information about buyers or prospective buyers, including their identities, with Hunter Biden or the administration, which provides quite a level of protection and transparency,” former White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in July 2021.
Berges confirmed this was the case and testified that he did not tell Hunter Biden who any of the buyers were. However, Hunter Biden was aware of the identities of some people who purchased roughly 70% of the value of his art, including Morris and Naftali, according to a source.
The White House has remained adamant that they had nothing to do with Hunter Biden’s art sales, nor did they know who the buyers were.
“Well, I can tell you that after careful consideration, a system has been established that allows for Hunter Biden to work in his profession within reasonable safeguards,” Psaki said in July 2021. “But all interactions regarding the selling of art and the setting of prices will be handled by a professional gallerist, adhering to the highest industry standards.
In August of that year, Psaki expanded, saying that the White House was not involved in any of those arrangements and that they were purely between Hunter Biden and his representatives.
During Tuesday’s White House press briefing, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre declined to comment on the matter.
According to one of the sources, Berges testified that Hunter Biden’s name had an influence on setting the price for his art. However, the second source pushed back on this, saying it was a false representation of what was said and that Berges negotiated directly with the sellers himself, including with Morris.
But, Berges expanded, telling the committee that he had never done an art deal like the one between Hunter Biden and Morris, saying that on Morris’s purchase, he only paid Berges 40% commission, and Morris and Hunter Biden figured out the rest of the commission, according to one of the sources.
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) sought out Berges because both Naftali and Morris said that Naftali’s purchase was especially concerning because of her presidential appointment to a board after she purchased the art.
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“The Biden White House appears to have deceived the American people about facilitating an ethics agreement governing the sale of Hunter Biden’s art,” Comer said in a statement Tuesday. “Hunter Biden’s gallerist never had any communication with the White House about such an agreement to make sure there was any sort of ethics compliance at all, and he provided information to the committee revealing how Hunter Biden’s amateur art career is an ethics nightmare.”
He continued, “The White House has a lot of explaining to do about misleading the American people.”
How does the involvement of Democratic donors as buyers raise concerns about political favoritism?
T and any alleged buyers are being kept at arm’s length to ensure there is no appearance of impropriety.”
The controversy surrounding Hunter Biden’s art sales has raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest and ethical issues. Critics argue that the high prices paid for his artwork could be seen as attempts to gain favor with the president or influence government policies.
There are also concerns about the lack of transparency in the art sales, as the identities of the buyers remain undisclosed. This has led to questions about whether the buyers may have ulterior motives or connections to the government.
Furthermore, the fact that some of the buyers are Democratic donors raises eyebrows and further fuels speculation about political favoritism and potential quid pro quo arrangements.
It is worth noting that art sales have long been seen as a way to influence and gain access to influential individuals. The art world has often been used as a vehicle for money laundering and shady dealings due to its subjective value and lack of regulation.
In response to these concerns, there have been calls for greater transparency and accountability in Hunter Biden’s art sales. Some have suggested that the sales should be independently reviewed to ensure there are no conflicts of interest or illegal activities.
Others argue that Hunter Biden should distance himself from the art sales altogether to avoid any perception of impropriety. This would involve either halting the sales or donating the proceeds to a charitable cause.
The controversy surrounding Hunter Biden’s art sales highlights the need for stricter regulations and ethical standards when it comes to the intersection of art, politics, and money. Transparency and accountability should be prioritized to ensure that the art world is not used as a means to gain undue influence or engage in illicit activities.
As the investigations into Hunter Biden’s art sales continue, it remains to be seen whether any legal or ethical violations will be uncovered. Nonetheless, the controversy serves as a reminder of the importance of maintaining integrity and avoiding even the appearance of impropriety in both politics and the art world.
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