The House Oversight Committee is requesting documents from real estate investor Elizabeth Naftali, the Democratic donor and Joe Biden-appointee who reportedly bought Hunter Biden’s art.
House Oversight wrote a letter to Naftali Saturday requesting documents and communications related to her reported purchase of Hunter Biden’s art, appointment to the U.S. Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad and visits to the White House, the New York Post first reported. She has a deadline of Aug. 11 to comply with House Oversight’s demands.(RELATED: Maryellen Noreika Issues New Order After ‘Apparent Misrepresentations’ Before Hunter Biden Plea Deal Imploded)
🚨BIDEN FAMILY INVESTIGATION🚨@RepJamesComer is demanding documents from a high-powered Democratic donor who bought Hunter Biden’s art and was appointed to a commission by President Biden.
Pay-to-play scheme?
Story 👇 https://t.co/sbAbnVrfdI
— Oversight Committee (@GOPoversight) July 29, 2023
“These facts raise the Committee’s concerns, and the Committee seeks documents and information regarding your purchase of Hunter Biden art,” the committee wrote, according to the New York Post. “Your position on the Commission is particularly suspicious because of Hunter Biden’s previous actions to elevate his business partner — Eric Schwerin — to the same post while his father was Vice President.”
Hunter Biden learned the identity of Naftali and another one of his art buyers, three people directly familiar with Biden’s account of his art career told Business Insider. Naftali donated $13,414 to Joe Biden’s reelection campaign and at least $29,700 to the Democratic National Committee this year, the outlet reported. Ahead of the 2022 midterm elections, Naftali hosted a fundraiser with Vice President Kamala Harris, Deadline previously reported.
President Biden appointed Naftali to the Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad in July 2022. A Biden administration official told Insider that Naftali was recommended by former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her appointment had no connection to her reported art purchases. It’s unclear if Naftali bought Hunter Biden’s art before or after she was appointed.
Naftali has visited the White House at least a dozen times since December 2021, visitor logs show, and secured a meeting with White House senior advisor Neera Tanden, the Washington Free Beacon first reported.
Former President Barack Obama appointed Hunter Biden’s longtime business associate Eric Schwerin to a position on the Commission in March 2015. Shortly after Schwerin’s appointment, Hunter Biden’s cousin Missy Owens asked him if her mother, Valerie Biden Owens, could receive a presidential appointment, emails on Biden’s laptop show, which were first reported by the Free Beacon.
“I didn’t know she wanted to do that me [sic] of these. Eric asked for one of these the day after the election in 2008,” Hunter Biden told Owens. “You know better than me what are real and interesting appointments. Let’s go through the list with Steve and see what makes sense. I don’t know how much 2016 and nepotism plays into it.”
As part of his revised child support settlement, Hunter Biden agreed to give some of his art to love child Navy Joan Roberts. Biden will no longer be paying $20,000 a month to support his child and she will not be taking the Biden name.
Joe Biden had not acknowledged his grandchild’s existence until a Friday statement provided to People Magazine. The four-year-old child was confirmed to be Hunter Biden’s by a DNA test commissioned in 2020 by her mother, Lunden Alexis Roberts.