Obama ethics chief: Hunter Biden selling art at 'obviously inflated prices' to mystery buyers feels 'grifty'

[Geee]

Fox News

Former President Obama's ethics chief ripped into President Biden's son, Hunter Biden, for selling his art at prices ranging up to half a million dollars to anonymous buyers. 

Walter Shaub, the former Office of Government Ethics director under Obama, said that the lucrative arrangement has a "shameful and grifty feeling to it."

"The notion of a president's son capitalizing on that relationship by selling art at obviously inflated prices and keeping the public in the dark about who's funneling money to him has a shameful and grifty feel to it," Shaub told Fox News on Monday.

[Geee]

Jason Chaffetz: Hunter Biden's art scam – with his work selling for $500K, we need to know who's buying

[Geee]

Ethics experts concerned about Hunter Biden’s art show

Ethics experts say President Joe Biden's son, Hunter, who intends to sell some of his artwork for up to $500,000 apiece at a show, could be leveraging the president's government position for personal profit.

The New York gallery owner will be withholding all transactional records from the autumn exhibit, including the identities of bidders and final buyers, and the amounts paid for the artwork.

“The initial reaction a lot of people are going to have is that he’s capitalizing on being the son of a president and wants people to give him a lot of money,” said former Bush administration chief ethics lawyer Richard Painter, pointing to the art’s “awfully high prices.”

[Geee]

Hunter Biden’s art con is an insult to ethics — and good taste

If only we all could be Hunter Biden.

When most of us crave a new job, we scour the listings. Advance the education. Spiff up the resume. Pray.

When Hunter Biden wants a new, extravagantly paid gig, the president’s middle-aged son, a former lawyer, lobbyist and alcohol and drug addict whose greatest skill is raking in fortunes for careers he’s unqualified to perform while struggling to keep his pants on, announces that he’s an artist. Then he sits back and waits for streams of cash to gush into his bank account.

The charmed life of Hunter B., which began roughly after his pop became vice president of the United States, is about to take a turn for the fabulous with his dad’s elevation to commander in chief. In October, a snazzy art gallery in New York City’s high-rent Soho district is scheduled to put on the market some 15 works created by the president’s son, 51, whose artistic experience, as far as I know, until now has been limited to doodles on strip club cocktail napkins.

[Geee]

Psaki uses Giuliani conspiracy defense to dismiss questions on Hunter Biden

The White House dismissed concerns about President Joe Biden being aware of his son's foreign business pursuits, alleging such claims come from “Rudy Giuliani’s lawyer” despite indications on Hunter Bidens's laptop and in his own book he may have been trading on access to his father.

A New York Post reporter noted on Friday that Joe Biden asserted in September 2019 he had "never spoken to my son about his overseas business dealings.” The reporter said that in 2015, then-Vice President Biden “met at Cafe Milano with his son’s Ukrainian, Russian, and Kazakhstani business associates one day before a Burisma executive thanked the first son for the opportunity to meet his father” and “hosted at the Naval Observatory Mexican business associates of Hunter Biden.”

The reporter asked if Joe Biden was really unaware his son was pursuing business deals with the people he’d allegedly met.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki replied: “The president does not discuss business dealings with family members, and otherwise, I’m not going to respond to Rudy Giuliani’s lawyer.”

[Valin]

On 7/9/2021 at 5:42 AM, Geee said:

Hunter Biden’s art con is an insult to ethics — and good taste

(Snip)

The charmed life of Hunter B., which began roughly after his pop became vice president of the United States, is about to take a turn for the fabulous with his dad’s elevation to commander in chief. In October, a snazzy art gallery in New York City’s high-rent Soho district is scheduled to put on the market some 15 works created by the president’s son, 51, whose artistic experience, as far as I know, until now has been limited to doodles on strip club cocktail napkins.

 

There is a story told about Pablo Picasso later in his life. He is sitting in a cafe, and he's doodling on a napkin. He notices people are ready to grab the napkin (because its a Picasso!). He looked around smiled and tore the napkin up.

 

This has nothing to do with this story, but I never let a little thing like that stop me.

[Valin]