Hunter Biden’s art dealer, George Bergès, testified that an agreement to keep the identities of art buyers anonymous was not established until several months after the White House claimed it had been set up.
Bergès participated in a closed-door interview as part of the House impeachment inquiry against President Biden, Politico reports.
The inquiry, led by House Republicans, is investigating potential foreign money received by the Biden family and any involvement of President Biden in family foreign business dealings.
The White House, in July 2021, stated that a system had been established to ensure the anonymity of Hunter Biden’s art buyers for ethical reasons. However, Bergès testified that an agreement with Hunter Biden, allowing him to disclose the buyers’ identities, was in place since December 2020. A new agreement preventing the disclosure of buyer names to Hunter Biden was created in September 2021, but Bergès emphasized that it was not a “White House-involved agreement.”
Bergès revealed that Hunter Biden knew the identities of approximately 70% of his art buyers. The discrepancy between the White House’s statement and the actual timeline of agreements has raised concerns about transparency and adherence to ethical standards.
The House Republicans leading the inquiry have expressed suspicion about potential conflicts of interest arising from Hunter Biden’s art career, especially regarding wealthy buyers and their connections to the White House. Oversight Committee Chair James Comer labeled the initial agreement as a “sham” and accused the Biden White House of deceiving the American people about the ethics agreement governing the sale of Hunter Biden’s art.
“The Biden White House appears to have deceived the American people about facilitating an ethics agreement governing the sale of Hunter Biden’s art,” Comer said.
