Over the last two years, ethicists and public interest groups have raised concerns over the selling of art by Hunter Biden as an avenue for Biden donors and allies to funnel money to the family. In response, then White House Press Secretary (and now MSNBC host) Jen Psaki repeatedly assured the public that there was a special ethical plan in place with the gallery to prevent Hunter from knowing who purchased the art. Yet, according to Georges Bergès, Hunter Biden’s art gallerist, he never spoke to anyone with the White House. Not only did he confirm that the White House never contacted him, but said that Hunter knew who purchased roughly 70% of the value of his art, including Democrat donors Kevin Morris and Elizabeth Hirsh Naftali.
The media dutifully reported at the time how the White House was grappling with the ethical questions and, according to the Washington Post, “the White House officials have helped craft an agreement.”
That appears to be news to Bergès who said that he had no contacts with the White House and Hunter knew the identity of the purchasers of most of the art. Notably, Bergès was reading these same reports in the news but never objected to the alleged misrepresentation. He simply continued to be a conduit for the funds to Hunter.
In the meantime, the White House continued to swat down questions by citing an ethical plan created for the sales. Andrew Bates, a spokesperson for the White House, said in a statement that “the President has established the highest ethical standards of any administration in American history, and his family’s commitment to rigorous processes like this is a prime example.”
Psaki stated:
“Well, I can tell you that after careful consideration, a system has been established that allows for Hunter Biden to work in his profession within reasonable safeguards […] But all interactions regarding the selling of art and the setting of prices will be handled by a professional gallerist, adhering to the highest industry standards. And any offer out of the normal course would be rejected out of hand. And the gallerist will not share information about buyers or prospective buyers, including their identities, with Hunter Biden or the administration, which provides quite a level of protection and transparency.”
The White House can now explain how it implemented this ethical plan without involving the gallery controlling the information and sales.
Some other details are concerning. Bergès admitted that Hunter knew that Naftali was one of the purchasers. However, he also reportedly admitted that he pushed Naftali to buy some of the pieces in 2020 without success. However, two months after Joe Biden became president, Naftali purchased her first piece of Hunter Biden’s artwork and later, in July 2022, President Biden announced Naftali’s appointment to the Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad.
Likewise, Bergès admitted that most of the art was actually purchased by lawyer Kevin Morris, who has reportedly given Hunter millions to cover unpaid taxes and expenses. So, as media was reporting how Hunter’s art was being eagerly purchased by art lovers, it appears to have been an illusion. It was Morris, and he only paid Bergès’ 40% commission on the $875,000 purchases.
Bergès admits that he has never seen a deal where the purchaser just paid his commission.
The strange arrangement reenforces the view that this was all a sham from the alleged ethics plan to the purchases themselves. Morris, a major Democratic donor, had only briefly met Hunter when he started to pay off his debts and support his lavish lifestyle.
The art sales were portrayed as a way for Hunter to support himself in a new (and successful) emergence as an artist. The Independent gushed how buyers were “floored” by Hunter’s talent and eagerly flocked to the shows.
However, it was largely Morris according to Bergès. So Hunter sent the art to New York and the press played up his success as an artist. Morris then bought most of the art and just paid Bergès his fee. The public was then left with the impression that Hunter was not only a successful artist, but supporting himself.
“. . . special ethical plan . . .”
That’s comical.
Through the Left’s lens of relativism, that means: We do whatever we damn well feel like doing.
Next thing you know Hunter will be on double secret probation
Now that Jen Psaki has been shown to be a liar, the question is: will she be demoted or promoted by MSNBC?
Neither. Since they always knew she was a liar this will have no impact on her relationship with MSNBC.
Being a competent liar seems to be a prerequisite to work at MSNBC.
@Anon
Seconded. Being willing to outright lie to people is a prerequisite for MSNBC and their ilk. Stating lie as fact is a far cry from editorialization, but such is the state of modern journalism and the people that teach it. They are in too deep, I doubt that’ll change anytime soon. If eventually the modern left are exposed for the fascists they are to the extent that it registers with the average person, a la 1930s Germany, they will try to pretend nothing happened, just like the Nazi sympathizers; this has already been proven with covid. Save the evidence, and archive it. This is especially crucial in the 21st century.
James,
We are already seeing the whitewashing of the COVID lockdowns with some claiming they did no such thing!
Wow, masters at money laundering. Wonder what China paid for?
Has anyone seen the movie “Mickey Blue Eyes” It is the exact same scam. A mobster forces the people he is extorting to buy his 5th grade quality artwork at auction to launder the money
As an artist, working my a** off to produce stylized and creative art standing in fields for hours plein air painting, I resent calling Hunter’s blowing through a straw to move paint around true fine art. It is a craft, touted as a creative way to help children with eye- hand coordination development , and at best belongs on refrigerators, sold at fall festivals, and first Friday town events.
Republicans will continue to giver trillions to criminal Democrats
DOJ, FBI. IRS, etc are 100% corrupt for Democrats
America is DYING
China, Soros, etc back Democrats to DESTROY America from within!
What trump’s lawyers just advocated is that the president could order his political adversaries killed and he could not be prosecuted unless he is first impeached. Easy solution to that, kill any senator or congressperson that would vote to impeach.
Really JT, you want to talk about Hunters art? I can think of at least one more important piece of news. Where are the nude pictures of Hunter?
Despite the obvious fact you are terminally infected with TDS, the name Trump is a proper noun. Therefore, capitalize it ‘bob’. English 101.
trump is aa Ahole that does not deserve the time of day, let alone capitalizing his name. Deal with the facts of the situation. Did his lawyers not advocate that as President, he could commit murder and not be charged unless congress impeached him?
Is that who you really want to support?
Your TDS is showing.
That is a fact you need to deal with.
Actually Bob, there is truth to that.
Trump’s example is a good one.
Obama’s crew targeted innocent civilians.
Sure we could blame the fog of war, but there was no fog. It was an accident, it was manslaughter.
There is a qualified immunity. Something less than full immunity but immunity none the less.
Trump is an Ahole. Most politicians are Biden is an incompetent ahole. Given the choices we have – I will take competent aholes.
No Trump’s lawyers did not ADVOCATE, they pointed out that it had ALREADY HAPPENED
Just as presidents have used executive powers to involve themselves in elections before Trump.
Pres. Obama ACTUALLY assassinated a US Citizen in Yemen.
Pres. Grant ACTUALLY sent soldiers into the south to investigate claims of election fraud.
You can still impeach, convict, indict and prosecute Obama.
But it is too late to go after Grant.
Trump’s lawyers did NOT advocate anything.
What you are refering to was an ACTUAL historical example.
President Obama ordered the assassination of a US Citizen in Yeman, and that assassination was carried out.
When asked by the press later, Obama said that he could have assassinated him in Ohio.
The claim that a president must be impeached and removed to be prosecuted – comes from US history and case law.
The immunity of judges comes from the Article II immunity clauses in the constitution. SCOTUS has determined that Executive Immunity – What Trump is claiming, that actually is in the constitution, also applies to federal Judges.
And in other cases has determined that a federal judge must be impeached and removed to be prosecuted.
Given that the immunity that Judges enjoy is actually Article II (not III) Executive immunity, that had to be STRETCHED to reach judges, any conclusions SCOTUS reached regarding Judges applies to the president as well as other appointed executive offices.
Nor would we want this otherwise.
I mentioned Obama’s assassination of a US Citizen. The executive branch of the united states breaks criminal laws arround the world all the time. Hillary fomented a coup in Ukraine – If Putin prevails can he have Clinton indicted and tried ?
But Presidential immunity goes beyond foreign policy. It also applies to acts inside the US.
Mayokas owes the CBP horseman an apologiy, but he can not be sued for defamation.
Biden can not be indicted for sending the SPR to china. He can not be indicted for conspiracy after the fact to distribute Drugs in the US or to engage in human trafficking.
Nothing about this is shocking, but what causes my stomach to hurt so badly that I may fast for a week is that only Turley is still talking about it.
@henriettasduck
Sure. It’d be great if we could forget about it and the regime could just get back to steam rolling us. 🙄 Wish there was an emoji for ‘deflect’. There is one for ‘troll never seen before today’. 🧌🧌
What’s so wrong with Kevin Morris helping a poor soul like Hunter. After all he did this out of the kindness in his heart with no favors in return other than some really valuable artwork, just like buying rare sports merchandise
Let’s ask Jen Psaki if she knew she flat out lied. Did she blindly follow orders. Why is she still employed at CNN?
This is just one more example of the deep corrupt rot in our federal government
By the end of March it’s projected the national debt will be 35 trillion dollars, just 2 trillion more in 6 months, yet Speaker Johnson is bragging about saving us about 30 or 50 billion dollars. What a joke and in the meantime 300,000+ are pouring across the border and the corrupt Biden Administration says the border is secure.
People in DC and the media live in fantasyland
The news gets more bizarre every day. I had wondered why Biden couldn’t run for president years ago due to his plagiarism, but that somehow became acceptable in 2020. And recently the press wrestled with how could the president of Harvard remain in power when she was a plagiarist while students who plagiarized were punished. How can we have a president of the USA who is also a plagiarist? What kind of message does that send to the citizens?
We’ve learned more about the Biden “family business” selling access to Joe, with still more to come. And we learned that the laptop isn’t “Russian disinformation.” So I guess that this art deal is just more of the same — another way to funnel money to the Bidens. Once again, we’ve been fed a line of BS by the White House.
And the Fani story is just the frosting on the cake — badly compromised prosecutors who probably shouldn’t be practicing law.
The employment numbers have to be revised every month. Our borders are being overrun and we can’t afford to pay what we’re paying for the hordes. We can’t even afford the interest on the ever-increasing debt. Joe keeps trying to find ways to circumvent the Supreme Court’s rulings, like paying for student debt.
We have two wars going on and Austin disappears. But that’s not important; he and Joe don’t talk much anyhow. Who is running this country?
Is Biden really the best candidate that the dems can find?
I forgot to add that half of the jobs that Joe “created” are government jobs — they don’t add to the economy! Our government just keeps finding new ways to spend money.
SD,
Well said and quite right about the jobs numbers getting revised significantly lower the following month but how little you hear about that number.
Then there are the economically illiterate who just read the headline without reading the details of the jobs report to note what the Household and Establishment surveys report and the job Participation rate.
Hey, what’s negative 450k between friends? And that’s only 11 months! Yes, along with the downward revisions, the job participation rate doesn’t often make the non-financial press. Or even the WSJ too often!
In other bizarre news, Hunter is seated with the audience at the House Oversight Committee where they are going to vote to hold him in contempt for not appearing for his deposition. Many reporters don’t understand (or perhaps don’t want to understand) the difference between being deposed and his offer to testify publicly. But you have to give him credit for chutzpah.
Look at how many book deals did the “Martha’s Vineyard Obamas”, the “Foundation” Clintons, Jim Wright, the Bush’s and even their dog had? A real test of corruption would be set a senator’s salary at $1,and see how many spend millions to get the job. The Bidens are pikers.
To quote Ron Ziegler, Nixon press secretary, “At this point in time, that statement is no longer operative.”
The Washington Post forgot to finish the sentence: “the White House officials have helped craft an agreement *with the media to keep this corruption far from the public eye*.”
I am so very shocked. Shocked beyond belief. The White House lied and the MSM played along. Rinse and repeat.
Figuring out it is all a bunch of BS to rule the masses yet?
Voting won’t fix this
(OT — sort of)
Speaking of corruption:
When can we expect a special prosecutor for Fani Willis?
She hired her romantic partner as special prosecutor in the Left’s lawfare case against Trump. Her office paid him some $700,000. She took lavish vacations with him, paid for with those public funds. He met for hours with the Biden administration, no doubt to coordinate a “prosecution” that the administration claims they have nothing to do with.
Nothing will happen to any of these disgusting creatures. Look at the tap on the wrist that Ray Epps received yesterday.
Another good article, yet no hope for Justice. This particular case, along with others of far more sinister nature, merely illustrates why it is imperative for Democrats to do everything they can to protect their grip on power. The revelation is at least a year behind what the American people intuitively knew. Nothing will result except for the fact that The People will become more cynical and drift away from caring.
Morris then bought most of the art and just paid Bergès his fee. The public was then left with the impression that Hunter was not only a successful artist, but supporting himself.
Not a single person believed this lie.
That the media repeated it as fact, is all you need to know about the DNC propaganda machine, colloquially known as media.
Now trot off to MSNBC a believe the lies on their home page. And use the lies to form your world view.
Elena Gorokhova, from ‘A Mountain of Crumbs’: “The rules are simple: they lie to us, we know they’re lying, they know we know they’re lying, but they keep lying to us, and we keep pretending to believe them.”
Wouldn’t the entire art collecting world know it too? Quite the Potemkin village, lol.
All things considered, I prefer Donald Trump’s Art of the Deal to Hunter Biden’s deal with the art!
Good one.
“the President has established the highest ethical standards of any administration in American history, and his family’s commitment to rigorous processes like this is a prime example.”
😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣 Well I’ve almost busted a gut reading that line! Anyone who sees Biden as ethical at this point is either a pure leftist believer or sadly, mentally challenged in some way.
Precisely.