Hunter Biden, President Joe Biden’s wayward adult son, is back in the news—this time for contradicting previous claims that his lucrative art sales would be anonymous to prevent undue influence.
Hunter, who only recently entered into the art world, was photographed at Milk Studios (a prominent Los Angeles venue) exchanging hugs and smiles with art dealers at a showing of his latest works.
Here’s Hunter Biden meeting with potential buyers for his art at a showing last week.
Didn’t the White House say he wasn’t going to know the buyers? pic.twitter.com/hi5X1eObsX
— Kyle Martinsen (@KyleMartinsen_) October 6, 2021
That Biden is palling around with the potential buyers of his art flies in the face of the claim made by the administration that there would be no personal element, no prexisting relationships to account for in the sales.
The absence of such relationships was supposedly sufficient to ensure a buffer against corruption of the quid pro quo variety.
Perhaps in theory, this distance would not be an issue at all. But in practice, it is—and that is due to the profits Biden’s debut artwork is bringing in.
It is reported that Biden’s gallerist, George Bergès, is requesting anywhere from $75,000 to $500,000 for the budding artist’s paintings—a high fee for any artist, especially a novice whose father happens to be the president.
At least five of the prints have already sold for $75,000 apiece, according to the New York Post.
Bergès himself is reported to be closely linked to galleries in China, raising questions over whether influential foreign investors in the Asian superpower could effectively launder their influence-peddling operation under the guise of haute couture.
In the subjective world of art, it is easy for parties that want to secretly cooperate on less-than-appropriate jobs to exchange money through sales.
Because there is no ‘standard rate’ for pieces, art forums offer parties an easy means to exchange money for favors.
The White House maintains that Hunter Biden is a private citizen and deserves the presumption of innocence, but that does not mean that Americans cannot look at the entire situation with a skeptical eye.
That is particularly the case given his—and the entire Biden family‘s—long track record of ethically unsound foreign entanglements.
Hunter has an established record of grifting off his father’s office and connections, as well as engaging—financially and in other regards—with sketchy people and governments.
If past performance is an indicator, it is likely that he will bring in millions over the next four years.
And one is left to wonder if ‘The Big Guy’ might take a little extra off these sales, on account of Hunter’s antics.
