Speaking to reporters at the White House Friday afternoon, Press Secretary Jen Psaki confirmed and justified the Biden administration's use of taxpayer resources to manage Hunter Biden's art career.
"I can tell you after careful consideration a system has been established that allows for Hunter Biden to work in his profession within reasonable safeguards. Of course he has the right to pursue an artist career, just like any child of a president has the right to pursue a career but all interactions regarding the selling of art and setting the prices will be handled by a professional gallerist, adhering to the highest industry standards and any offer out of the normal course would be rejected out of hand and the gallerist will not share information about buyer or prospective buyers with Hunter Biden or the administration which provides quite a level of protection and transparency," Psaki said.
When asked about potential ethics violations surrounding Hunter Biden's art sales, Jen Psaki says "a system has been established" and "he has the right to pursue an artistic career." pic.twitter.com/Ot0YueKadS
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) July 9, 2021
The White House decision to help Hunter Biden manage his new career is being blasted by ethics officials from the Obama Administration.
"So instead of disclosing who is paying outrageous sums for Hunter Biden’s artwork so that we could monitor whether the purchasers are gaining access to government, the WH tried to make sure we will never know who they are... We’re supposed to trust a merchant in an industry that’s fertile ground for money laundering, as well as unknown buyers who could tell Hunter or WH officials? No thanks. Is this amateur hour for government ethics?" former Office of Government Ethics official Walter Shaub tweeted about the situation.
During the briefing, Psaki also dodged questions about Biden's claims he "never" discussed foreign business dealings with his son, despite mounds of evidence proving otherwise.
Jen Psaki dodges a very direct question about Hunter Biden's foreign business dealings:
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) July 9, 2021
"I'm not going to respond to Rudy Giuliani's lawyer." pic.twitter.com/3ZsHFKChy3