Hunter Biden’s art dealer says his work is ‘important.’ Why the paintings factor into GOP probes – By Bart Jansen (USA Today) / Feb 5, 2023
WASHINGTON – Hunter Biden’s paintings have drawn the eye of House Republicans, but not for the art.
The House Oversight and Accountability Committee wants to know who bought the art and how much they paid, after list prices initially ranged up to $500,000. The chairman called the figures “exorbitant” for a “novice artist” and questioned whether it amounted to influence peddling over federal policy.
But the White House created a policy for the dealer to set prices without President Joe Biden or his son knowing the buyers. Georges Berges, the New York gallery owner who exhibited the art and arranged sales, defended Hunter Biden and predicted he would be “one of the most consequential artists in this century.”
Republicans are investigating Hunter Biden’s art sales as part of wide-ranging inquiries into his business dealings and bank records. Rep. James Comer, the Oversight chairman, questioned whether Hunter Biden was peddling influence to foreign adversaries by using high-value art to evade U.S. sanctions, with prices on his work initially listed at up to $500,000 and now ranging from $55,000 to $225,000 apiece.
