The Washington Post reported recently about a system that has been set up to allow Hunter Biden to profit even more than he already has. He wants to sell his artwork and their setup allows him to sell it without knowing who is actually buying. Per the Post report:
“White House officials have helped craft an agreement under which purchases of Hunter Biden’s artwork — which could be listed at prices as high as $500,000 — will be kept confidential from even the artist himself, in an attempt to avoid ethical issues that could arise as a presidential family member tries to sell a product with a highly subjective value.
Under an arrangement negotiated in recent months, a New York gallery owner is planning to set prices for the art and will withhold all records, including potential bidders and final buyers…
Officials close to President Biden, who have helped craft the agreement along with Hunter Biden’s attorney, have attempted to do so in a way that allows the president’s son to pursue a new career while also adhering to the elder Biden’s pledge to reverse his predecessor’s ethical laxity, especially regarding family members.”
This arrangement received some criticism in the moment because it gives Hunter the chance to profit off of the family name. It’s not like his art would be bringing in the same price if he was not Joe Biden’s son. Anyone who pretends otherwise at this point is just deluding themselves.
Now, CBS News has followed up on this report and they have found out that this deal is not even being honored. Hunter Biden will soon be selling his paintings directly, meeting with prospective buyers before these sales are made. The report is saddening:
“Hunter Biden is expected to meet with prospective buyers at two art shows where his paintings will be on display later this year, according to a spokesperson for the New York gallery retained to sell art made by the president’s son.
The shows, a small, private affair in Los Angeles and a larger exhibition in New York City, will give Biden an opportunity to interact with potential buyers of his paintings, which the gallery expects to sell for as much as $500,000.
Asked whether Hunter Biden would attend both events, Georges Berges Gallery spokeswoman Robin Davis said, “Oh yes. With pleasure. He’s looking forward to it. It is like someone debuting in the world. And of course he will be there.”
Some might be wondering what the issue may be here. Can’t the president’s son earn an honest living after spending years hoovering cocaine and running around with call girls? Sure, he can. The problem here isn’t the selling of the artwork, the problem arises when he’s mingling with people who only want to buy art as a means of getting close to the Biden family.
It’s easy to imagine what will happen here. Joe Biden will be able to solicit bribes through his son. People will pay top dollar for his paintings as a means of getting closer to Sleepy Joe. “I think it would be challenging for an anonymous person who we don’t know and Hunter Biden doesn’t know to have influence,” Jen Psaki said. Now that we know the people aren’t going to be anonymous, the statement rings somewhat hollow.
Jen Psaki lied to the faces of reporters in the WH Press Briefing room and it's not a 5 alarm fire. No tweets or statements about sacred betrayal of trust. Weird. https://t.co/g6HNfLzx2X
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) July 22, 2021
Psaki was asked to provide further commentary on the topic and was clearly getting defensive. [Biden]’s not going to have any conversations related to the selling of art.” This does not change the fact that she is totally contradicting herself. Hunter is going to know potential buyers and there is no denying that now.
Presidential relatives should not be able to capitalize like this but there’s no law against monetizing a sudden rise in power and relevancy. That does not mean that what Hunter is doing is right, it means that it is something we are going to have to get used to. Hopefully, the people who think that they are making some major investment in his art are left with a worthless pile of nothing.
