Hunter Biden reportedly failed to pay his art dealer, Georges Bergès, for upscale art exhibitions, as revealed in testimony before the House Oversight and Judiciary committees last week.
Bergès dropped Biden as a client due to unpaid bills, stating, “It was a little bit more than I could chew … So I haven’t agreed to renew that contract now.” Hunter Biden has a history of not fulfilling financial obligations, including housing, car payments, and legal fees totaling $4.9 million.
When asked who paid for the art exhibits, Bergès replied, “I paid for them. I’m still bitter about a lot of that stuff. I took a gamble and it didn’t really pay off, but so that’s one of the reasons I haven’t really renewed the contract. I had to do all the framing. I had to do all the shipping. I had to expedite it.”
Contradicting the White House’s claim that Hunter Biden had no involvement in the sale or discussions about his art, Bergès mentioned that Hunter requested the identities of 70% of his “anonymous” art buyers. This has raised concerns, given the potential for money laundering in the art world.
Three individuals, including Hunter’s lawyer, Kevin Morris, a Democratic donor and Biden appointee, and gallery co-owner William Jacques, bought Hunter Biden’s artwork. Bergès, entitled to a 40% commission, suggested that Hunter received $900,000 for his amateur art paintings.
Despite unpaid bills and limited art sales, Hunter Biden expressed interest in extending the contract with Bergès, citing the need to look at the totality of sales. Bergès, reflecting on representing Hunter Biden, mentioned security issues, death threats, and false assumptions about political affiliation.
Bergès has a controversial history, facing a fraud and breach of contract lawsuit in 2016. Additionally, he has engaged in business activities in China, boasting about being a lead art dealer in the country in 2015. The White House has shown little concern over Hunter Biden’s choice of art dealer, defending him against ethical concerns in 2021.
Hunter Biden, defiant towards art critics, responded with “f*ck’em” when questioned, stating that selling art is a “pretty courageous thing to do.” Former White House press secretary Jen Psaki expressed the president’s pride in his son’s art venture.
