Ethics watchdogs warned that buyers of Hunter Biden's artwork could be making the purchases in a bid to seek preferential treatment from the White House — And they're right, so...let's get into the semantics.
Ethics watchdogs have expressed concerns in the past that buyers of Hunter Biden's artwork, which made its debut at the gallery more than a year ago, could be making the purchases in an attempt to seek preferential treatment from the White House.
The different forms of preferential treatment that were referenced could come from lobbyists or foreign officials, and they can simply even say that they own a painting by the president's son, which could hold more weight.
Now, the Republican Party has said that the New York City gallery owner's "agreement with Hunter Biden raises severe ethical questions and brings into question whether the Biden family is again selling access and influence".
A request that Republican members had previously made while in the minority to the younger Hunter Biden's art dealer, Georges Bergès, was re-issued in a letter by the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability.
This recent demand could carry more weight and be a precursor to a congressional subpoena, which would result in a ratcheting up of the pressure on the New York City gallery owner to cooperate with the investigation.
Art critics and ethics watchdogs have remarked that the price tags appear to be high for an unknown artist making first-time sales, particularly given that the highest asking price for the artwork is $500,000.
In 2021, a former ethics official under the Obama administration named Walter Shaub called the art sale a "terrible idea" during an interview with CNN.
This official told the broadcaster President Biden "can't control his relatives" but that "it just is implausible that this art from an unknown artist would be selling at this price if it didn't have the Biden name attached to it."
The official added that as a result, "it really looks like the President's son capitalizing on his father's public service".
House Republicans sent out a letter, saying the gallery owner had not responded, and Republican James Comer of Kentucky further asked the gallery to hand over communications with the White House and Hunter Biden.
Comer also reportedly requested information about the buyers of the younger Biden's artwork and attendees of exhibits displaying Hunter Biden's paintings.
A Biden surname carries too much because you are practically the first child of the United States of America — and your Dad practically runs the biggest and most protected office in the entire world.
This idea was already described as being bad and ethically wrong in the early stages, and Hunter should not have continued with it in the first place, it's really THAT simple.
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