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Former Obama Ethics Chief: Hunter Biden Art-Selling Arrangement ‘Perfect Mechanism for Funneling Bribes’
National Review ^ | July 9, 2021 10:26 PM | CAROLINE DOWNEY

Posted on 07/10/2021 11:02:13 AM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum

During an appearance on CNN on Friday, former Obama-era Office of Government Ethics chief Walter Shaub called the White House’s arrangement allowing Hunter Biden to sell his art “the perfect mechanism for funneling bribes” to the president.

Shaub’s statement comes amid the development that the White House crafted a deal under which the price tags of Hunter Biden’s artwork sales, some listing as high as $500,000, will be obscured from the artist to prevent ethical violations.

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Per the contract, New York gallery owner Georges Bergès will set the prices for the art and also will conceal related records such as prospective bidders and buyers. Bergès has promised to refuse extraordinary offers far exceeding the asking price or those that he deems suspect, sources first told the Washington Post.

The president’s son’s art sale, expected to be held this fall, has been subject to criticism amid concerns that the market he’s dabbling in has a reputation for corruption and shady business activity.

“They have outsourced government ethics to an art dealer. She mentioned industry standards,” Shaub said in reference to comments by White House press secretary Jen Psaki. “It’s an industry that’s notorious for money laundering. There’s no standards in that industry,” he said during the interview.

“The idea that they’re going to flag any overly priced offers — well, this is art that hasn’t even been juried into a community art sale. How are they going to decide what’s unreasonable when they’ve already priced it in the range of $75,000 to $500,000 for a first outing? This is just preposterous and very disappointing,” the Obama official said.

(Excerpt) Read more at nationalreview.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: biden; bidencrimefamily; hinter; hunter; hunterbiden
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1 posted on 07/10/2021 11:02:13 AM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Hunter Biden could grow little basil plants in a pot and sell them each for $500,000. Call it art. Call it whatever. It’s not about the art. It’s not about little basil plants in a pot. Hunter wants $500,000 and Hunter gets what Hunter wants.


2 posted on 07/10/2021 11:04:29 AM PDT by ClearCase_guy
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

I’m glad he’s speaking up.

But I still start laughing and can’t past the oxymoron “Obama ethics....”


3 posted on 07/10/2021 11:05:20 AM PDT by frank ballenger (You have summoned up a thundercloud. You're gonna hear from me. Anthem by Leonard Cohen)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Art Of The Steal


4 posted on 07/10/2021 11:07:39 AM PDT by Berlin_Freeper
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To: ClearCase_guy

Hunter gets what Hunter wants....

Just like Ivanka Trump being allowed to display her fashion and jewelry line in stores and online. And the same with MyPillow’s Mike Lindell. Dems always are honorable and fair.

Oh, wait....


5 posted on 07/10/2021 11:09:38 AM PDT by frank ballenger (You have summoned up a thundercloud. You're gonna hear from me. Anthem by Leonard Cohen)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum
Qualis artifex pereo!
6 posted on 07/10/2021 11:10:10 AM PDT by Lonesome in Massachussets (Diana Moon Glampers for Secretary of Education! )
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To: frank ballenger

If Obama’s ethics advisor is calling you out for ethics violations, you done f-ed up.


7 posted on 07/10/2021 11:13:58 AM PDT by ctdonath2 (All worry about monsters that'll eat our face, but it's our job to ask WHY it wants to eat our face.)
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To: frank ballenger

There was a genuine market for Ivanka Trump jewelry. People want to imitate and be associated with celebrities. It’s like Billie Beer. I would prefer that the president’s family not exploit their fame, or notoriety.

There is absolutely no market for Hunter Biden’s “art”, only for his influence.

The Mile Lindell comment is completely off the wall. He associated himself with Trump, for whatever reason, but that has nothing to do with Trump. Lot’s businessmen and women try to associate themselves with politicians for various reasons.


8 posted on 07/10/2021 11:17:59 AM PDT by Lonesome in Massachussets (Diana Moon Glampers for Secretary of Education! )
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

I’ve long figured book deals were the same. Funny, Democrats have a lot of questionable big-advance book deals…


9 posted on 07/10/2021 11:20:27 AM PDT by ctdonath2 (All worry about monsters that'll eat our face, but it's our job to ask WHY it wants to eat our face.)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

so is buying fizor stock ahead of the plandemic.


10 posted on 07/10/2021 11:21:10 AM PDT by willyd (I for one welcome our NSA overlords)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Well, ima a housewife and I can tell them from here that the entire Biden administration and the massive conglomerate that supports it is a perfect mechanism for funneling bribes.
We pay these people to come up with these observations?


11 posted on 07/10/2021 11:21:58 AM PDT by stanne
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Expect every dem in congress to start pressuring their kids to become artists.


12 posted on 07/10/2021 11:22:07 AM PDT by DPMD
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Half a million bucks for a painting by a first-time “artist” from an anonymous buyer - nope, nothing suspicious there. If it really were for a painting I’d be saying fine, a fool and his money, but it isn’t and everybody knows it. I hope they remember to use a fabric softener on the money.


13 posted on 07/10/2021 11:27:52 AM PDT by Billthedrill
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

We needed an ethicist to tell us that.

Every day I find myself caring less about what these idiots spout.


14 posted on 07/10/2021 11:27:58 AM PDT by zek157
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Watch the movie, “Mickey Blue Eyes” same scam but it is a pretty funny movie.


15 posted on 07/10/2021 11:28:42 AM PDT by Captain Peter Blood (https://www.freerepublic.com/focus/bloggers/3804407/posts?q=1&;pag)
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To: ClearCase_guy

Bingo.


16 posted on 07/10/2021 11:30:35 AM PDT by leaning conservative (snow coming, school cancelled, yayyyyyyyyy!!!!!!)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

They aren’t bribes when powerful enough Democrats take them.


17 posted on 07/10/2021 12:10:13 PM PDT by Rurudyne (Standup Philosopher)
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To: ClearCase_guy

Has anyone seen any of the magnificent artwork?


18 posted on 07/10/2021 12:12:32 PM PDT by TribalPrincess2U
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To: DPMD

“ Expect every dem in congress to start pressuring their kids to become artists.”

Fiddy years from now: “Hey, homes, dig, this be the New Federal periods, when the biggest art-types was all from the Hunter Biden skool of minimalism.”


19 posted on 07/10/2021 12:12:58 PM PDT by Rurudyne (Standup Philosopher)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Been doing it for years. They got caught giving him a cushy job so now it’s his art. Which they should have been doing all along. Much easier than paper trails of checks written..


20 posted on 07/10/2021 12:38:16 PM PDT by glimmerman70
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