The president’s son Hunter Biden plans on sidestepping ethics concerns arising from his upcoming art shows by not talking about selling his work at the events, according to the White House.
The younger Biden will attend two exhibitions in Los Angeles, despite the White House’s insistence that his art dealer had created a foolproof anonymous sales system that will prevent any conflicts of interest.
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“That will be left to the gallerist,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters Thursday. “We believe this is a reasonable system that has been established that allows for Hunter Biden to work in his profession within appropriate safeguards.”
Psaki promised to check if Biden’s sales agreement was in writing and whether it would be made public.
Biden’s two small LA shows are scheduled in September before a larger New York City exhibition hosted by Georges Berges. His pieces have been priced between $75,000 to $500,000.
Berges gallery spokeswoman Robin Davis said this week guests “will be vetted” to ensure they are “appropriate.”
Earlier this month, Psaki defended the Biden-Berges sales system, in which the names of bidders and final buyers, as well as the amounts paid, will remain secret. She said the system will make it “challenging” for someone or an organization to exert influence on Biden.
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“Any offer out of the normal course will be rejected out of hand,” she said at the time.
Biden, a lobbyist-investor turned amateur artist, is better known for his $50,000-a-month role on the board of Ukrainian natural gas company Burisma Holdings and his struggles with alcohol and drug addiction. He told the New York Times last year that painting “literally” keeps him sober and sane.
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Aides to President Joe Biden said during transition that the president’s family would sign a code of conduct to avoid any conflicts of interest. The younger Biden’s business dealings in China are suspected to be the basis of a federal investigation by the FBI and IRS into his taxes.
