"He's no Pablo Picasso": US Republicans target Hunter Biden's art deals

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Hunter Biden (in April in the White House garden):

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ALMOND NGAN / AFP

The US Republicans are once again targeting the artworks of President Joe Biden's son Hunter as part of their investigation into President Joe Biden's family.

The chairman of the US House of Representatives' powerful Oversight Committee, James Comer, on Wednesday wrote a letter to the New York art gallery that offers Biden's painting -- demanding a list of all buyers.

"Your arrangement with Hunter Biden raises serious ethical concerns and raises the question of whether the Biden family is once again selling access and influence," Comer wrote to Georges Bergès, owner of the eponymous gallery in New York's Soho district.

"Although an art novice, Hunter Biden has received exorbitant sums for the sale of his artworks, the identities of the buyers remain unknown, and you appear to be the only one keeping a record of these lucrative transactions."

Comer also calls on Bergès to testify before the congressional committee in February.

The Republican suggests that wealthy buyers could purchase Hunter Biden's artwork to buy President Biden's goodwill.

Biden works in the gallery would be offered for up to 225,000 dollars (around 207,000 euros).

“Why would anyone pay Hunter Biden lots of dollars for art that seems worthless?

He's not Pablo Picasso," Comer wrote on Twitter.

The president 's son has been a target for Republicans for years .

They accuse the 52-year-old of having used his father's important position during his time as Vice President under Barack Obama (2009 to 2017) for business in Ukraine and China.

The Republicans have also criticized the sale of his works of art in the past: In July 2021, the White House had to make a public statement.

It stated at the time that Hunter Biden would not know the names of the buyers.

And: There is “no scenario” in which someone could influence the White House in this way.

The US Republicans have had a slim majority in the House of Representatives since the beginning of January.

They have launched a series of investigations into President Biden's politics and family.

Comer criticizes the Bidens - and defends Mike Pence

Committee chairman Comer had attracted attention in the past few days with criticism of Joe Biden in his files affair.

For example, in a letter to the White House, Comer asked if Hunter Biden might have had access to classified files in the family garage.

What he implied: Hunter Biden could have copied secret files and passed them on to his business partners in China or Ukraine.

When it became known on Tuesday that secret files had also been found in a private villa belonging to former Republican Vice President Mike Pence, Comer tried to limit the damage: The transparency that Pence had shown was in "blatant contrast" to the White House, which continues to withhold information from the US Congress and the American people, Comer wrote in a statement.

However, observers assume that the discovery at Pence will make it more difficult for Biden's political opponents to attack the president without damaging Pence as well.

There are clear parallels between the two cases.

According to Pence's lawyer and the White House, both Biden and Pence are said to have cooperated fully with the authorities regarding the return of the documents.

aar/AFP