House lawmakers issued an array of subpoenas and interview requests Thursday in the impeachment inquiry into President Biden, including to an art gallery owner selling Hunter Biden’s paintings and a wealthy Democratic donor who bought his artwork.
Gallery owner Georges Berges and Los Angeles real estate investor Elizabeth Naftali were among four people subpoenaed by Rep. James Comer, Kentucky Republican and chairman of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee.
Mr. Comer also sent subpoenas to former Hunter Biden business associates Eric Schwerin and Mervyn Yan. The two men helped Hunter Biden secure lucrative foreign business deals that witnesses say leveraged his father’s powerful position as vice president.
The panel requested interviews with four other people, including Americore Holdings LLC trustee Carol Fox, about Mr. Biden’s alleged loans to his brother James Biden.
The panel has uncovered checks from James Biden to the president totaling $240,000 and labeled “loan repayment.” The checks were sent to Mr. Biden after his brother received payments from lucrative business deals secured partly by leveraging his brother’s name. House investigators want to see documents proving James Biden was repaying a loan and not paying his brother for his influence.
On Wednesday, Mr. Comer issued subpoenas to Hunter Biden and James Biden to further scrutinize their lucrative deals and Mr. Biden’s involvement.
“A plethora of bank records, texts, emails, and a transcribed interview with Biden family associate Devon Archer all show the Bidens and their business partners sold access to the highest levels of our government, including Joe Biden himself, to the detriment of America’s interests,” Mr. Comer said.
Mr. Biden has denied any involvement in his family’s business deals, although former business partners say he phoned in or stopped by Hunter Biden’s business meetings.
Sales of Hunter Biden’s artwork have become part of the House Republicans’ impeachment inquiry into Biden family corruption allegations.
Mr. Comer is seeking transcribed interviews in early December with Ms. Naftali and Mr. Berges “related to the high-dollar art transactions” on Hunter Biden’s artwork.
Ms. Naftali purchased at least one of Hunter Biden’s paintings from Mr. Berges’ New York gallery for an unknown amount.
She has been a frequent White House visitor. Mr. Biden appointed Ms. Naftali in July 2022 to the Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad. It is unknown whether she was appointed after she purchased the artwork or what price she paid.
Mr. Biden named her to the board, an unpaid position, eight months after Hunter Biden formally debuted his artwork, according to Insider, which obtained internal gallery documents.
Mr. Berges has ignored prior requests for an interview by House investigators, Mr. Comer said Thursday.
Hunter Biden’s art is priced as high as $500,000 apiece, and the Biden administration has defended his son’s right to produce and sell his artwork as a private citizen. A single unknown buyer purchased 11 of Hunter Biden’s paintings for $875,000. Overall, Hunter Biden has sold $1.4 million in art as of late July, according to Insider.
Mr. Berges, on his gallery’s website, describes Hunter Biden as a lawyer by profession who “now devotes his energies to the creative arts, bringing innumerable experiences to bear. The results are powerful and impactful paintings ranging from photogenic to mixed media to the abstract.”
• Susan Ferrechio can be reached at sferrechio@washingtontimes.com.
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