The artistic activity of Hunter Biden, the son of the American President, has made the press department of the White House difficult to explain.
President Joe Biden's spokeswoman Jen Psaki struggled Friday to address concerns that the sale of Hunter Biden's paintings posed a risk of corruption.
The businessman, lawyer and hobby painter Hunter Biden had recently started to exhibit his works in New York's Georges Berges Gallery and also to offer them for sale.
According to a media report, the paintings could be sold for up to half a million dollars.
Critics warn that businesspeople or others could only buy the art to gain influence in the White House.
President Biden's office had responded by announcing "appropriate security precautions": At exhibitions of Hunter Biden's works, "the sale of his art will be carried out by the gallery owner and the names and persons will be treated confidentially," said Psaki in early July.
However, that would not prevent the buyer of the paintings from letting Hunter Biden know in person that he had purchased his art. When asked about this possibility, Psaki simply said that strict rules will apply. “He won't not know. He won't know who is buying his art. ”Hunter Biden is one of former President Donald Trump's favorite targets. In the 2020 election campaign, the then incumbent had repeatedly highlighted the economic interests of the son of his challenger in Ukraine and China. Investigations into tax offenses are also ongoing against the 51-year-old Hunter Binden.