The Republican-led House Oversight Committee punched back at a House Democrat who ripped chair Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) over a subpoena to a Democrat donor who bought Hunter Biden’s artwork.
On Thursday, the Kentucky Republican announced that four more people have been subpoenaed in the ongoing investigation into influence-peddling schemes involving President Joe Biden and members of his crooked clan, drawing a response from Rep. Daniel Goldman (D-NY) in which he tried to shame Comer.
The wealthy heir to the Levi Strauss family fortune defended the donor, Elizabeth Naftali on the basis that her young niece is one of the hostages taken by Hamas terrorists during their murderous attack on Israeli civilians last month, suggesting that she should be immune from scrutiny.
Elizabeth Naftali’s 3-year-old niece is currently being held hostage by Hamas, yet @RepJamesComer is spending his time subpoenaing a private citizen as part of his wild goose chase rather than working to return her family from captivity.
This is a new low from House Republicans. https://t.co/5TuJVqFl3m
— Daniel Goldman (@danielsgoldman) November 9, 2023
“Chairman Comer’s behavior is disgusting. In his soulless desperation to smear President Biden ahead of the 2024 election, he has stooped to an entirely new low of abandoning the American families of hostages in a pathetic attempt to score political points against President Biden,” Goldman said in a statement.
But the committee wasn’t having any of it, blasting the filthy rich congressman over his shameful “politicizing” of a hostage crisis and suggested that he should do his job regarding congressional oversight by pitching to help “root out corruption.”
“Not only has Ms. Naftali donated thousands of dollars to Rep. Goldman’s campaign, but she remains an important figure in the Biden family’s influence peddling schemes after her decision to purchase Hunter Biden’s artwork,” an Oversight Committee spokesperson told conservative outlet Breitbart News.
“Elizabeth Naftali currently serves on President Biden’s Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad,” the spokesman said. “The Oversight Committee expects Ms. Naftali to comply with the lawful subpoena.”
In addition to the art aficionado, the others who were subpoenaed were Eric Schwerin, founding partner and managing director of Hunter Biden’s Rosemont Seneca Partners firm, Mervyn Yan, another business associate, and George Bergès whose art gallery featured the younger Biden’s expensive works.
BREAKING
I’m not done issuing @GOPoversight subpoenas just yet.
Hunter Biden’s Business Associates
✅ Eric Schwerin
✅ Mervyn YanHunter’s NYC & China Art Dealer
✅ George BergèsHunter’s Art Patron & Major Dem Donor
✅ Elizabeth Naftali— Rep. James Comer (@RepJamesComer) November 9, 2023
The decision to include Naftali on Comer’s list of early Christmas gifts could be big trouble for Biden’s hooker-chasing, ex-crackhead son whose selling of his amateur paintings for hundreds of thousands of dollars never quite added up with the art industry being notorious for providing cover for money laundering.
The outlet drew attention to a Senate subcommittee report from 2020 detailing the shady underbelly of the art world.
“The art industry is considered the largest, legal unregulated industry in the United States. Unlike financial institutions, the art industry is not subject to Bank Secrecy Act’s (“BSA”) requirements, which mandate detailed procedures to prevent money laundering and to verify a customer’s identity. While the BSA does not apply to art transactions by art dealers and auction houses, sanctions do. No U.S. person or entity is allowed to do business with a sanctioned individual or entity,” the report states.
“While the art market is not regulated by the BSA, it is governed by unwritten rules. A large number of art sales happen through intermediaries referred to as “art advisors” who can represent both purchasers and sellers. In a typical transaction, a purchaser may not ask who owns the piece of art they are purchasing; the seller may not ask for whom it is being purchased or the origin of the money. And in general an art advisor would be reluctant to reveal the identity of their client for fear of being cut out of the deal and losing the business,” according to the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations.
“Because the art industry is not subject to BSA requirements, when a piece of art is sold, there is no legal requirement for the selling party to confirm the identity of the buyer or that the buyer is not laundering money through the purchase,” the report states, in excerpts highlighted by Breitbart News.
“Americans across this country have made it clear to President Joe Biden, the Biden family, and their associates that the gig is up. The House Oversight Committee, along with the Committees on Judiciary and Ways and Means, are determined to follow the facts, and deliver the transparency and accountability that the American people demand, deserve, and expect,” Comer said in a statement posted to the Oversight Committee’s website.
“The House Oversight Committee is also investigating the sale of the President’s son’s high-priced artwork. Hunter Biden’s art dealer, George Bergès, has repeatedly failed to respond to the Committee’s requests for transcribed interviews and information related to the high-dollar art transactions on Hunter Biden’s art,” the statement read.
- ‘Do you hear yourself?’ JD Vance shuts down Martha Raddatz over Venezuela migrant gangs - October 13, 2024
- Gretchen Whitmer issued tepid apology for mocking Catholics in perverse Doritos video - October 13, 2024
- SNL ‘turns on’ Kamala, skewers floundering Democrat nominee - October 13, 2024
Comment
We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.