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Hunter Biden in Washington in December: One and a half million for his art
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Jose Luis Magana/dpa
Hunter Biden and the money – Joe Biden's son has been in the spotlight for years because of possible tax crimes.
The son's business is repeatedly linked to the US President.
Biden is accused by Republicans of abusing his public office for the financial gain of his family.
Now the Republicans in the House of Representatives have questioned Hunter Biden's gallery owner in a committee.
Hunter Biden paints and sells his pictures for six-figure sums - or has them sold.
Some Republicans suspect dubious ways to secure the favor of the White House.
Art is susceptible to this because it is difficult to evaluate.
And Hunter Biden is not an established artist.
That's why Georges Bergès should now speak to the Republican MPs.
According to a transcript first quoted by the Washington Post, ten buyers paid more than $1.5 million for works of art by the president's son.
The gallery owner kept 40 percent of it, and 60 percent went to Biden.
Bergès' past as a Trump supporter seems almost strange.
According to the Washington Post report, Bergès donated around 20 times smaller amounts to Donald Trump in 2020 - who lost the US presidential election to Joe Biden in the same year.
According to the report, the collaboration between Bergès and Hunter Biden began in early December 2020, shortly after the election but before the inauguration.
One of the three known buyers of the works of art is Kevin Morris, the lawyer and financier who is considered one of Hunter Biden's closest friends.
According to the report, Morris had eleven works of art for $875,000.
According to the report, art dealer William Jaques bought four works of art for $122,500.
It is also known that Democratic donor Elizabeth Naftali purchased two pieces from Hunter Biden, one for $52,000 and another for $42,000.
In 2022, President Biden appointed her to the US Commission on the Preservation of America's Heritage Abroad.
According to a letter from Naftali's lawyer, which the Washington Post quotes, Naftali only bought the works of art because she liked them.
The prices were reasonable.
And the appointment to the commission was not initiated by Biden, but by the then Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi.
"Any attempt to link Ms. Naftali's art purchases with her appointment to the commission is baseless," the letter says.
The other buyers remained anonymous.
Republicans push forward with impeachment proceedings
With allegations of financial benefits for his family, Republicans are pushing ahead with impeachment proceedings against Joe Biden.
However, they have not yet provided clear evidence of serious misconduct.
It is questionable whether the investigation could actually result in impeachment proceedings.
The incumbent president wants to run for a second term in the November election.
Last week it was announced that Hunter Biden plans to appear for questioning in the House of Representatives at the end of February.
Biden had previously resisted such questioning.
He argued that his closed-door testimony could be selectively reproduced and manipulated by Republicans.
He therefore insisted on only testifying publicly.
The panel wants to charge Hunter Biden with contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena to a closed-door hearing on his father's impeachment inquiry.
At the beginning of January, a surprise appearance by Hunter Biden caused turmoil in the House of Representatives.
hba/dpa