Hunter Biden is raking in quite the paycheck as an artist, having earned $1.3 million through sales of his paintings.
The artwork alone is unlikely to stand the test of time – it is far from the standard of da Vinci’s Mona Lisa or van Gogh’s Starry Night, for example – but Biden’s works have proved popular with two buyers for sure, with one spending $875,000 on 11 pieces, according to Business Insider.
One of those buyers was Kevin Morris, Biden’s prominent attorney who has been labeled a “sugar brother” in recent months.
Having already lent the President’s son $2 million and a private jet, Morris purchased Biden’s work for more than $500,000.
However, it’s the other buyer known to Hunter who is causing shockwaves. According to Insider, that person is Elizabeth Hirsh Naftali, a Los Angeles real-estate investor and Democratic Party donor who was appointed to a prestigious posting by President Biden in July 2022 – eight months after Hunter’s first art gallery opened.
Who is Elizabeth Hirsh Naftali?
A prominent Democrat donor in California, Hirsh Naftali has provided the party with more than $43,000 so far this year – $13,414 to the Biden campaign, and $29,700 to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. In 2022, she was the host of a fundraiser attended by Vice President Kamala Harris.
A year prior, a New York art gallery showed Biden’s paintings with some asking prices as high as $500,000. At the time, the White House steered clear of mixing art collection with politics, claiming a vigorous vetting process meant that only the art gallery would know the buyers.
According to three people closely related to his art career, Biden soon learned the identity of the two buyers, Morris and Hirsh Naftali.
President Biden appointed the latter to the Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad in July last year.
The role, while unpaid and often given to prominent donors or political allies, is one of importance, nonetheless.
Why is this important?
It’s a situation that has undoubtedly left more questions than answers – not helped by a lack of clarity on all sides.
The timing of the purchase is important; if it was before Hirsh Naftali started her role, it raises questions as to whether Hunter encouraged his father to her appointment.
A White House official said Hirsh Naftali’s appointment was recommended to the President by former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi due to her support for Jewish causes in Los Angeles and Israel.
Hunter’s counsel also commented that he learned about the buyers’ identities due to their existing friendship.
However, the timeline remains unclear, raising questions about conflicts of interest.
One ethics advisor told Insider it is “less of an issue” if the purchase was made after Hirsh Naftali’s appointment.
Nevertheless, the optics of the situation – easily avoided if the high-value purchase was never made – builds only further pressure on the Biden family.
Shay Bottomley is a British journalist based in Canada. He has written for the Western Standard, Maidenhead Advertiser, Slough Express, Windsor Express, Berkshire Live and Southend Echo, and has covered notable events including the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
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