CBS News reported that House Republicans are investigating “possible undue White House Influence” regarding the sale of Hunter Biden’s artwork.
Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., the committee’s ranking member, wrote a letter asking art broker Georges Berges to provide documents and communications between him, Biden, and the White House, CBS News said Wednesday.
CBS News reported that the letter asked Berges to provide documents showing who was present at Biden’s art shows and who bought his work.
The letter, which was sent to the committee Republicans as a minority and without subpoena power means that it is a non-binding request of information. Democrats are not allowed to join this effort.
In July, the White House announced that it had entered into an ethics agreement with Hunter Biden (51-year-old son and President Joe Biden) to hide buyers’ identities from the White House.
This agreement was intended to protect the Biden family against people who seek political influence. It meant that only Berges knew the name of the buyer and the purchase price.
CBS News reported that Biden would be attending his art shows in New York City and Los Angeles. This put him in front of potential buyers.
Berges spokesperson in July stated that he would not accept offers above the asking price. The works could be sold for between $75,000-$500,000,000.
President Donald Trump criticized Hunter Biden’s dive into art, with prospective sales later this year for up to $500,000, according to reports.
“What about Hunter Biden getting a half a million dollars per painting, and he never painted before,” Trump stated in late-July at the Turning Point Action conference in Phoenix, Arizona, “Could you imagine if my kids did that? Could you imagine? And now they’re justifying it: ‘Well, we want to make it nontransparent.’
“‘No, actually, you should make it transparent, but actually, you shouldn’t make it at all, because it’s a bribe. It’s a bribe, 100% bribe.”
Hunter Biden stated in July that art valuation is not a science and called the prices “completely subjective”.
“Look man, I never set my prices — what my art was going to cost, what it costs, or how much it would be priced at,” Hunter Biden stated. “I would be amazed you know if my art had sold at, um you know, for $10.”
