Hunter Biden first sold art with a professional art dealer shortly after his father, Joe Biden, was elected president, his art gallerist testified in January.

A lawyer for Hunter Biden's New York City-based gallerist, Georges Burgess, said Hunter Biden sold his first artwork to Burgess on December 11, 2020, according to records reviewed by the newspaper. A letter was submitted to the House Oversight Committee and the Judiciary Committee. The person who called. (Related: Leslie Wolf refuses to explain order removing Joe Biden from search warrant in Hunter Biden case)

Burgess and Hunter Biden signed a deal in 2020 after first meeting in 2019 through Hollywood producer and Democratic donor Lanette Phillips, Burgess testified.

“I met him probably a year before his father was elected,” Berges said.

“I've been working with him for over a year now, when his father was elected,” Berges added.

He made it clear that he was referring to Joe Biden's presidential election. President Biden was elected in November 2020, defeating then-President Donald Trump.

“We had a mutual friend and she knew I was a gallerist and liked his work. And she said — she told me that many other But it was like, you know, this is this artist,' Berges recalled.

He testified that Phillips was a “mutual friend” who introduced them in 2019, details of which House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer revealed in an exposé. press release Following Berges' testimony.

Comer provided information regarding Berges' testimony that there was no communication with President Biden regarding the ethics of Hunter Biden's art sales and the Democratic donors who purchased a significant amount of Hunter Biden's art. revealed.

Burgess liked Hunter Biden's personal story, and the two developed a relationship before signing the deal, and Burgess became his gallerist.

“I liked his art. I liked his trajectory. I liked his stories. I always like to tell people that Hunter, like many of us, faced crossroads in life. And he could have gone on and died or done the hard thing of changing, and he did the hard thing,'' Berges explained. He likened Hunter Biden to the legendary “Rocky” movie series.

Hunter Biden got sober in May 2019 and has since started living in California with his new wife, Melissa Cohen, after his guilty plea reportedly fell through. agreement Cooperating with the Department of Justice (DOJ). He detailed his addiction to crack cocaine in his 2021 memoir.something beautiful”, and excerpts from that book are included on his federal taxes indictment In California.

The California indictment alleges that Biden failed to file past-due tax returns and pay unpaid taxes long after he became sober. He pleaded not guilty to the federal tax charges at his arraignment in Los Angeles on Thursday.

In October, he pleaded not guilty to separate federal firearms charges stemming from allegations that he purchased a firearm in Delaware while battling a crack cocaine addiction.

“So, as you’ve been discussing, this relationship is forming between you and Mr. Biden,” the staffer said to Berges.

“That's right,” Berges replied.

“[W]When was the first time you sold Hunter Biden’s artwork?”

“Hmm, I don't remember,” Berges said. One of his lawyers apparently showed him a letter dated Hunter Biden's first art sale with Berges.

“December 11, 2020, this is it,” Berges said.

“So, according to your letter, the first sale of Hunter Biden's art was on December 20th. Did you have any established written relationship with Hunter Biden at that time? Excuse me. December 11th. Mr. Bergès was asked.

“I think so, yes,” he answered. He recalled that the terms of his original contract were 60% to 40% split between Hunter Biden and himself. He believed the original deal was agreed to around the time of the 2020 presidential election, but could not remember the exact date.

Mr. Burgess and Hunter Biden entered into a new contract in September 2021, and Hunter Biden received a small fee increase in the new contract. According to Berges, the industry standard is a ratio of 60% to 40% for artists and gallerists.

As part of the first contract, Hunter Biden was allowed to know the identity of the art buyer, but in the second contract, Berges was required not to tell Biden about the buyer, the art gallerist testified.

On February 17, 2021, shortly after Biden took office, Democratic donor Elizabeth Naftali purchased the Hunter Biden artwork for $52,000, Burgess said. It took her a year to convince art gallerists to get Naftali to buy her work.

President Biden appointed Naftali in July 2022 to the presidential commission tasked with preserving America's heritage abroad. She purchased another Hunter Biden artwork on December 9, 2022, for $42,000. Burgess acknowledged that she believes Naftali knows Hunter Biden and that she may have told him about purchasing the art.

The art gallerist said he has not provided the White House with records of Hunter Biden's art sales or the patrons who purchased his art.

Burgess told lawmakers he never told Biden who the buyers were, even though original terms gave him permission to do so. Hunter Biden recommended changes to the second contract, which ends two years later in September 2023.

Burgess later testified that he did not believe Hunter Biden sold the art before they started dating.

“Did Hunter Biden ever sell art before using you as an agent?”

“Not that I know of. I don't know,” Berges replied.

“I had no impression that he had sold anything before he met me,” Berges added in response to further questions. Under the terms of the Hunter Biden contract, Mr. Burgess has exclusive representation rights to Hunter Biden, as is industry standard.

He sold an estimated $1.5 million worth of Hunter Biden's art, but said it was because of Hunter's passion for art, not partisan affiliation. Hunter Biden's fixer, Hollywood lawyer Kevin Morris, bought $875,000 of the $1.5 million art sale.

“So it had nothing to do with politics, but everything to do with the integrity of the artist. And actually, I believe everything I say. It had nothing to do with politics.” he declared. Mr. Burgess repeatedly praised Hunter Biden as a “great artist” and expressed his passion for Hunter Biden's artwork.

Burgess has donated to Republican and Democratic politicians, including former Presidents Trump and Obama, as well as the Federal Election Commission (FEC). record show.

“And I look at it strictly from an artist's point of view and a humanistic point of view. I'm not interested in politics,” he testified.

Comer, along with Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan and Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith, is leading the House Republican investigation into President Biden's impeachment.

Comer and Jordan said in a letter Sunday that they are prepared to issue a second subpoena for Hunter Biden to testify before Congress as part of the impeachment inquiry.

Hunter Biden skipped a private deposition on Dec. 13 and held a press conference at the Capitol without responding to a subpoena.

Hunter: “Let me be as clear as possible: My father was not financially involved in my business. He was not involved as a lawyer or as a board member of Burisma. Private Business in China I am not participating in any partnership with the family. My investments are neither domestic nor overseas, and certainly not as an investment destination. pic.twitter.com/NWgBrfm7ux

— Greg Price (@greg_price11) December 13, 2023

“Let me be as clear as possible: My father has no financial involvement in my business, nor was he involved as a lawyer or as a board member of Burisma. Partnership with a private Chinese businessman It's not an investment of mine domestically or internationally, certainly not as an artist,” Biden said.

House Republicans could hold a floor vote later this week on whether Biden should flout Congress.

Henry Rogers contributed to this report.