Republicans pressed Attorney General Merrick Garland about ethics concerns surrounding Hunter Biden’s art, priced up to an eye-popping $500,000, and other financial dealings during a House Judiciary Committee hearing on Thursday.
Rep. Ken Buck showcased a recently sold painting by the adult son of President Joe Biden and compared it to paintings by Claude Monet and Edgar Degas, costing $700,000 and $500,000, respectively.
NAZI-STOLEN VAN GOGH PAINTING EXPECTED TO SELL FOR MORE THAN $30 MILLION
“And you might think that he had some sort of apprenticeship with a world-renowned artist but you would be wrong again if you thought that,” Buck said. “Or perhaps that he has been selling his works for years — and again, unfortunately, you would be wrong.”
Grilled on the subject, Garland said he would not respond to questions about investigations to any U.S. citizen.
Buck demanded to know if he would appoint a special counsel, to which Garland said he would take Buck’s request “under advisement.”
Federal officials are already conducting a criminal tax investigation into Hunter Biden, and with the added concern of influence peddling with regard to his artwork, Buck noted his office sent a letter to the Justice Department asking for Garland to appoint a special counsel to take over investigating Hunter Biden.
“It is now apparent that President Biden could be directly implicated in the ongoing investigations into his son’s money transfers and dealings, raising serious questions regarding whether then-Vice President Joe Biden was aware of and possibly benefited from the influence peddling operation led by his son,” the letter read, according to the New York Post.
Garland responded by saying he was unaware of Buck’s letter.
At another point during the hearing, Garland faced questions from GOP Rep. Tom McClintock, who noted alleged communications tied to Hunter Biden have indicated his finances were intertwined with those of the president.
Garland responded by saying he was “not going to comment about this investigation.”
Chinese business records indicate Hunter Biden still appears to hold a 10% equity stake in a Chinese government-linked firm that has invested in companies sanctioned by the United States.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki was asked on Oct. 4 about Hunter Biden’s ownership stake in the investment firm, to which she responded “he has been working to wind that down.”
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Earlier this month, Hunter Biden hosted an art show in Hollywood, with one of his guests being the mayor of Los Angeles, Eric Garcetti. At his Los Angeles exhibit, Biden sold at least five prints of artwork to unspecified buyers for $75,000 each.
