Who is Elizabeth Hirsh Naftali? LA investor and donor 'friend' among buyers of Hunter Biden’s artwork
WASHINGTON, DC: America's first son Hunter Biden's artwork was reportedly sold for a total of about $1.3 million, internal gallery documents revealed on Monday, July 24. Reports suggest that one of the buyers, named Elizabeth Hirsh Naftali, a real-estate investor from LA, is also a Democratic donor "friend" who Joe Biden appointed to the Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad in July 2022.
An official from the Biden administration reportedly told Business Insider that Naftali was recommended for being named in the prestigious commission by former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and that she did not earn the position due to her art deal. It is also not known when Naftali made her purchase or how much she paid for the artwork. The publication also cited sales records kept by Hunter's art dealer, the Georges Berges Gallery of Manhattan, and said that the largest purchase of his art was made by a mystery deal, consisting of 11 artworks for a total of $875,000.
What is known about Elizabeth Hirsh Naftali?
Naftali is a real estate investor and philanthropist who reportedly owns and runs a commercial real estate company in Los Angeles’ Fashion District. As per Business Insider, she is an influential personality in the Democratic circles of California and a prominent Democratic donor who allegedly gave $13,414 to the Biden campaign and $29,700 to the Democratic National Campaign Committee this year.
According to the official website of US Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad, Naftali has served on the board of Oakwood School in North Hollywood since 2002 and as the Board Chair from 2012 to 2015. She currently serves on the board of the IKAR Shul in Los Angeles and the RAND Corporation Center for Middle East Public Policy.
Naftali is the co-founder of BIG Shopping Centers and also established BIG Giving, the philanthropic branch of the company focusing on educational, developmental, and co-existence programs for Jewish and Arab children across Israel in 2007. She continues to remain active in her philanthropic work in Israel by working with the Tel Aviv Foundation and Babylonian Jewry Museum.
During the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, Naftali started the Make More Masks Campaign and produced and distributed over 100,000 masks to keep the most vulnerable individuals in the communities safe. In 2022, she hosted a fundraiser headlined by Vice President Kamala Harris. That same year, President Biden appointed her to the Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad.
More recently, it was revealed that Naftali was one of the buyers who purchased Hunter's artwork. Reports suggest that President Biden annouced Naftali's appointment to the commission nearly eight months after Hunter's first art opening in Hollywood. However, it remains unclear if Naftali's purchase of the artwork occurred before or after that appointment.
As per Business Insider, a Biden administration official confirmed that Naftali was recommended to Biden by Pelosi and said that there was no established connection between her appointment and her art purchases. They also mentioned that Naftali was deeply involved with Jewish causes in Los Angeles and Israel, which served as a valuable background for her appointment to a commission that works toward the preservation of historic Jewish sites across Europe.
The official also mentioned that Naftali's service on a policy board at the RAND Corporation was as a prominent think tank. Meanwhile, others said that Naftali's fundraising activities as a kind, generous and well-connected donor often made her a suitable contender for such appointments regardless of her relationship or connection with the president's family.
'The gallery sets the pricing'
In the wake of the disclosure, Ian Sams, a White House spokesperson, said, "Hunter Biden is a private citizen who is entitled to have his own career as an artist. We are not involved in his art sales, and any buyers of his art are not disclosed to the White House," Business Insider reported. Abbe Lowell, Hunter's counsel, also provided an email statement and said that the first son reportedly learned the identities of Naftali and a second buyer after they made the purchase through his art gallery as they were friends.
"The gallery sets the pricing and handles all sales based on the highest ethical standards of the industry, and does not disclose the names of any purchasers to Mr Biden," Lowell mentioned. Bruce Weinstein, a professional ethicist and ethics trainer, told the publication that the timing of Naftali's purchase was important. "If it was done after her appointment, and she likes the painting, it's less of an issue," he said.
"It's more of an issue if she's deciding to buy it beforehand. Then it might be perceived as a quid pro quo," Weinstein continued. "If you really wanted to choose the most ethically appropriate course of action, that would not involve any conflict of interest, real or perceived, then you don't buy the painting," he added.