WASHINGTON – Manhattan art dealer Hunter Biden said on Tuesday that he had never worked with the White House in an ethics pact to ensure buyers remained anonymous – and added that the top buyer was known to the first child, contrary to previous claims from President Biden’s aides.
Georges Bergès also revealed that in addition to the supposed lack of anti-corruption protection he actually met and spoke on the phone with the president while repeating his son, the House Oversight Committee said in a closed deposition reading.
The art dealer testified that Hunter, 53, knows who buys about 70% of his art — including Elizabeth Hirsh Naftali, who acquired the eldest son’s work before and after the prestigious presidential inauguration.
Bergès revealed that he personally interacted with Joe Biden on several occasions, including at a private White House wedding for Hunter’s daughter Naomi in 2022.
The crucial testimony comes as the Oversight Committee leads an impeachment inquiry into whether the elder Biden was involved in corruption in the foreign ventures of his son and brother James during his vice presidency.
Hirsh Naftali, who scored a repeat visit to the White House during the time period in question, signed a $42,000 sale in February 2021, before his appointment that July by Joe Biden to the Commission for the Preservation of American Heritage Abroad, and then another for $52,000 in December 2022 .
Bergès also confirmed that his eldest son was aware that Hollywood lawyer Kevin Morris, who met Hunter at a political fundraiser in December 2019 before financing his tax payments and living expenses, was his main patron, buying $875,000 worth of art in a January 2023 deal.
First son Hunter Biden’s Manhattan art dealer, Georges Bergès, shared details on Tuesday about the buyer of the first son’s first son’s work. Stephen Yang
“The Biden White House appears to have deceived the American people about easing the ethics agreement governing the sale of Hunter Biden’s art,” Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) said in a statement. “Hunter Biden’s gallerist never had any communication with the White House regarding such an agreement to ensure there was any kind of ethical compliance at all, and he provided information to the committee that revealed how Hunter Biden’s amateur art career is an ethical nightmare.
“Much of Hunter Biden’s art has been purchased by Democratic donors, one of whom was appointed by President Biden to the prestigious commission after he purchased Hunter Biden’s art for tens of thousands of dollars shortly after Joe Biden’s inauguration,” Comer added. “The White House has a lot of explaining to do about misleading the American people.”
The White House did not immediately comment on Bergès’ testimony. Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre referred questions to the White House counsel’s office during her regular briefing.
Bergès said that Hunter, 53, actually knew who bought about 70% of his works, including Elizabeth Hirsh Naftali.
It is not clear whether Bergès is providing buyer information in full after refusing to do so previously.
Bergès also told committee members during a closed deposition that Hollywood producer Lanette Phillips, who had hosted fundraisers for the elder Biden, introduced Hunter to Bergès.
Hunter Biden has sold at least $1.3 million in art as of July, according to Business Insider.
The Post previously reported that Hunter sold five prints for $75,000 each — a total of $375,000 — at an October 2021 Hollywood art show controversially attended by LA Mayor Eric Garcetti, then-President Biden’s nominee to be ambassador to India.
The existence of an ethical framework through which Hunter Biden would remain in the dark about buyer information was first reported in July 2021 by the Washington Post and the framework was cited repeatedly by then-White House press secretary Jen Psaki.
The Washington Post, citing two Biden aides, wrote that “White House officials have helped broker a deal in which the purchase of Hunter Biden’s artwork — which can be listed for as high as $500,000 — will be kept secret even from the artist himself, in an attempt to avoid ethical issues that may arise when a member of the president’s family tries to sell a product of highly subjective value.”
Psaki did not dispute the article at a briefing the next day when asked by a reporter, “Did the White House play any role in drafting the sales agreement with the New York gallery to protect the buyer or the identity of the principal buyer?”
Bergès also confirmed that Hunter was aware that Hollywood lawyer Kevin Morris, who met Hunter at a political fundraiser in December 2019 was his main patron, buying $875,000 worth of art in a January 2023 deal. Daniel William McKnight
A White House spokesman responded at the time that “a system has been established that allows Hunter Biden to work in his profession within reasonable protection… All interactions regarding art sales and pricing will be handled by professional gallerists, adhering to the highest industry standards. And any bids on out of the ordinary course will be rejected outright. And gallerists will not share information about buyers or potential buyers, including their identities, with Hunter Biden or the administration.”
A few weeks later, Psaki put some distance between the administration and the alleged agreement.
“We’ve talked extensively about arrangements, which are not White House arrangements; that is an agreement between Hunter Biden’s representative and Hunter Biden’s representatives that we of course informed,” he said in August 2021.
Hirsh Naftali has denied that he bought Hunter’s art to please his father, saying in a November statement that “any insinuation that his purchase of art was unusual or somehow inappropriate” was false.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
