{"id":946633,"date":"2021-10-31T19:13:59","date_gmt":"2021-10-31T23:13:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=946633"},"modified":"2021-10-31T19:14:01","modified_gmt":"2021-10-31T23:14:01","slug":"billionaire-mega-donor-at-center-of-hunter-biden-art-sales-raises-ethics-concerns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/billionaire-mega-donor-at-center-of-hunter-biden-art-sales-raises-ethics-concerns\/","title":{"rendered":"Billionaire Mega-Donor At Center Of Hunter Biden Art Sales Raises Ethics Concerns"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fbillionaire-mega-donor-at-center-of-hunter-biden-art-sales-raises-ethics-concerns%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=946633&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>A billionaire with a history of using art to steer donor cash and support for the presidential campaigns of Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden is at the center of a recent Hunter Biden art show, raising ethical concerns among watchdogs and experts.<\/p>\n<p>An art, fashion, and entertainment enterprise of billionaire business mogul Moishe Mana named \u201cMilk Studios\u201d hosted a Hunter Biden art exhibition in Los Angeles on Oct. 1, where the president\u2019s son and his <span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Manager George Berg\u00e8s entertained a crowd of about 200 potential buyers. Mana\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/managrp.com\/about\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Mana Group<\/a> website at the time of publishing lists Milk Studios as a business enterprise in its expansive portfolio.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>The Daily Caller contacted the prominent Democratic donor to ask about ethical concerns of co-owning the studio space for Hunter Biden\u2019s Los Angeles art event. Mana replied, \u201cGo fuck yourself u piece of shit garbage.\u201d The Israeli-American billionaire declined to comment because the Daily Caller is \u201cowned by a crazy..bad guy.\u201d He then referred to the reporter asking the question as \u201ca nazi jew\u201d who should \u201c[g]o find a real journalist job.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_7312128\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" readability=\"32\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7312128\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-7312128\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn01.dailycaller.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Moishe-Mana-69x120.jpeg\" alt=\"Moishe-Mana-Hunter-Biden-George-Berges-Milk-Studios-Los-Angeles\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn01.dailycaller.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Moishe-Mana-69x120.jpeg 69w, https:\/\/cdn01.dailycaller.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Moishe-Mana-357x620.jpeg 357w, https:\/\/cdn01.dailycaller.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Moishe-Mana-768x1332.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/cdn01.dailycaller.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Moishe-Mana-1536x2663.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn01.dailycaller.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Moishe-Mana-2048x3551.jpeg 2048w, https:\/\/cdn01.dailycaller.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Moishe-Mana.jpeg 828w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 69px) 100vw, 69px\" \/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-7312128\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A text exchange between Moishe Mana and a Daily Caller reporter.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cThe studio being opened by a political donor who has been involved in Democratic fundraising efforts involving art in particular and using art as a tool for other political purposes, really changes the way that this can be looked at,\u201d Anna Massoglia, an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.opensecrets.org\/news\/author\/amassoglia\/\">Investigative Researcher at OpenSecrets<\/a>, a non-profit transparency organization that tracks money in politics, told the Daily Caller.<\/p>\n<p>Along with making personal donations, Mana has a history of leveraging his power in the art world to support major Democratic figures.<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">According to&nbsp;<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fec.gov\/data\/receipts\/individual-contributions\/?contributor_name=moishe+mana\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">FEC filings<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, Mana has contributed over $115,000 to the Democratic National Committee and Democratic political candidates around the country between 2015 and 2018. Mana most notably was a key donor and helped strategize on behalf of Hillary Clinton\u2019s 2016 presidential campaign. After huddling with fellow Hillary Donors at the <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/c329fc3ade8d43e589d91ffb4d57a356\">2016 Democratic National Convention<\/a>, Mana received national attention when he offered to <a href=\"https:\/\/therealdeal.com\/miami\/2016\/08\/03\/moishe-mana-ups-his-offer-2m-to-charity-for-donald-trumps-tax-returns\/\">donate $2,000,000<\/a> to a charity of Donald Trump\u2019s choice if he released his tax returns.&nbsp;<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Two weeks before the 2016 election, Mana <\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/news.artnet.com\/market\/moishe-mana-auction-clinton-campaign-707714\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">co-hosted a Hillary Clinton Fundraiser<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> where he auctioned off hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of art from his personal collection. The \u201c<a href=\"http:\/\/politicalpartytime.org\/party\/42300\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Art in Support of Hillary<\/a>\u201d event for the Hillary Victory Fund also served as the failed presidential candidate\u2019s birthday party. <a href=\"https:\/\/dailycaller.com\/2016\/07\/28\/mega-rich-clinton-surrogates-create-reward-for-espionage-on-trump\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>(RELATED: Mega-Rich Clinton Surrogates Create Reward For Espionage On Trump)<\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe White House has tried to push a narrative that Hunter Biden\u2019s art is very separate from Joe Biden\u2019s presidency, so the fact that you now have a democratic donor involved to some extent changes how you might consider the studio that was now given to his son. I think it would be really interesting to see whether the studio space was provided to Hunter Biden at the same rate or under the same conditions that it would be provided to other artists and how the financial arrangement works, but the White House has not been really transparent with the exchange of money around Hunter Biden\u2019s art generally,\u201d Massoglia added.<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Although Mana supported Pete Buttigieg in the Democratic primaries, once Joe Biden was announced as the Democratic frontrunner, he said in a&nbsp;<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CCcbHwmAdKI\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">July 2020 Instagram post<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> that \u201cJoe Biden is my choice and our savior.\u201d Mana then held <\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.local10.com\/video\/vote-2020\/2020\/11\/01\/-drive-up-rally-held-in-wynwood-for-biden-harris-ticket\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">multiple Biden-Harris campaign events<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, including a 2020 election watch party, at the Mana Convention Center in Wynwood. Rally-goers honked in support of the Biden-Harris ticket while socially distanced in their cars, as organizers donned and passed out blue hats that read \u201cMake America Normal Again,\u201d which abbreviated is \u201cMANA,\u201d the Israeli-American billionaire\u2019s last name. In an Instagram post, Mana placed a \u201cMANA\u201d hat on DNC chairman Tom Perez\u2019s head. Mana also spoke at and promoted a \u201c<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CHBRyT1gFrw\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Todos Con Biden<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u201d event and concert to encourage Biden support among Florida Latinos hosted at the&nbsp;<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CHEE56bASVo\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Wynwood Mana Convention Center<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CGXe5G3grpo\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\" readability=\"-9.3947368421053\"><\/blockquote>\n<p>Massoglia also noted, \u201cThis would not be the only time that the political donor who opened the studio has used art for activism or political purposes. It is also not the only time art has been used as a payment method or a way to curry favor with different politicians or to even exchange for various influence operations generally, so art is a very powerful medium that does get exchanged in political processes often behind the scenes. This is really an interesting and unique set of issues that are being presented since, in addition to the fact that Hunter Biden has access to this studio, we don\u2019t know what other favors may be given behind the scenes and what connections are being made at these art shows.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A novice artist with<a href=\"https:\/\/news.artnet.com\/art-world\/hunter-biden-gallery-show-1979790\"> no formal training<\/a>, Hunter mingled among<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article-10062207\/Hunter-Biden-makes-debut-art-exhibition-LAs-Milk-Studios.html\"> maskless socialites and politicians at his debut art show at Milk Studios Los Angeles<\/a>, including Mayor Eric Garcetti, as he reportedly<a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/hunter-biden-art-pieces-sell-75k\"> sold five paintings for $75,000 each<\/a>, with some pieces fetching a price tag of $500,000 according to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/politics\/deal-of-the-art-white-house-grapples-with-ethics-of-hunter-bidens-pricey-paintings\/2021\/07\/07\/97e0528c-da72-11eb-9bbb-37c30dcf9363_story.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Washington Post<\/a>. The George Berg\u00e9s Gallery in SoHo this past week also exhibited <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtontimes.com\/news\/2021\/sep\/23\/house-republicans-demand-ethics-rules-hunter-biden\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">fifteen original Hunter Biden pieces<\/a> for sale. The president\u2019s son has previously said, \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/hunter-biden-art-critics-response\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">f**k \u2019em<\/a>\u201d in response to those who have criticized the prices of his art. In an Art World podcast, Hunter said, \u201cLook man, I never set my prices&nbsp; \u2014 what my art was going to cost, what it costs, or how much it would be priced at. I would be amazed, you know, if my art had sold at, um you know, for $10.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBuyers paying outrageous prices to curry favor with the Bidens is a major ethics concern,\u201d says Scott Amey, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pogo.org\/about\/people\/scott-amey\/\">General Counsel for the Project on Government Oversight<\/a> (POGO), a nonpartisan, independent government corruption watchdog organization.<\/p>\n<p>Concerning Mana\u2019s role as co-owner of Milk Studios, Amey explained to the Daily Caller that \u201cnow an additional layer has been added because those affiliated with the studios have pushed a liberal political agenda.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Amey wonders if potential art buyers and the studio owners \u201care monetizing the situation to put cash in Hunter Biden\u2019s pocket with the hope they will get an audience with the president.\u201d While there is no evidence of campaign finance law violations, the POGO General Counsel added, \u201ceven if it is legal, someone has to say \u2018stop all of this\u2019 because the appearance isn\u2019t good.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Mana continued to flex his art power in support of Hillary Clinton when he displayed a sixteen-by-forty-six-foot neon pink \u201cI\u2019m With Her\u201d crochet on a <\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.newyorker.com\/culture\/culture-desk\/crocheting-hillary-clinton\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">prominent billboard<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> at his 40,000 square foot art and event space, Mana Contemporary, in Jersey City. The previous \u201cinstallment\u201d atop this billboard was one of the infamous \u201cnaked Trump statues\u201d placed in front of <\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/manacontemporary\/photos\/a.437416926042\/10154359109236043\/?type=3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">an upside-down American flag<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">. After commissioning another naked Trump statue in Wynwood, his developmental real-estate project in Miami, Mana depicted Trump as the Joker, the chaotic Batman villain, on his <\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nj.com\/jjournal-news\/2016\/10\/is_mana_contemporary_the_headq.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Jersey City billboard<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">&nbsp;and on a&nbsp;<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.miaminewtimes.com\/arts\/bushwick-collective-mural-is-wynwoods-latest-anti-trump-artwork-8823926\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">mural in Wynwood<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">. Almost a year into Trump\u2019s presidency, Mana Contemporary hosted their \u201cOCCUPY MANA\u201d open house with exhibits ranging from climate change to race relations meant as a \u201ccollective protest of the Trump administration\u2019s dangerous policies and rhetoric.\u201d Those who needed transportation from Manhattan to Jersey City for the event were treated with a&nbsp;<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/manacontemporary\/posts\/10155565461356043\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">complimentary shuttle service<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">&nbsp;that departed from Milk Studios New York.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_7309640\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" readability=\"38\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7309640\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-7309640\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn01.dailycaller.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/GettyImages-611388520-162x120.jpg\" alt=\"naked-trump-statue-mana-wynwood-contemporary-milk-studios\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn01.dailycaller.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/GettyImages-611388520-162x120.jpg 162w, https:\/\/cdn01.dailycaller.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/GettyImages-611388520-620x459.jpg 620w, https:\/\/cdn01.dailycaller.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/GettyImages-611388520-768x569.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn01.dailycaller.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/GettyImages-611388520-1536x1138.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn01.dailycaller.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/GettyImages-611388520-2048x1517.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/cdn01.dailycaller.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/GettyImages-611388520-190x142.jpg 190w, https:\/\/cdn01.dailycaller.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/GettyImages-611388520-70x52.jpg 70w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 162px) 100vw, 162px\" \/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-7309640\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Indecline\u2019s life-size, nude statue of Donald Trump for the project titled \u201cThe Emperor Has No Balls\u201d was commissioned by Moishe Mana in the Wynwood neighborhood of Miami, Florida, on September 28, 2016.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">In a&nbsp;<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/culture\/culture-news\/mega-developer-backs-new-naked-trump-statues-109738\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Rolling Stone interview<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, Mana called then-candidate Trump a \u201clunatic,\u201d said he saw a \u201clot of parallels with what the Germans went through in the 1920s, when Hitler rose to power,\u201d and asserted that Trump \u201cshould have been arrested a long, long time ago.\u201d&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">In 2016, Mana posted an Instagram photo of him and former President Obama in Miami, captioned, \u201cmy dinner with president Obama was amazing truly love Obama and what he did for America.\u201d That picture is still his profile photo on Twitter and Instagram.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/BGuBOZ6F855\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\" readability=\"-9.3947368421053\"><\/blockquote>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">While Mana wasn\u2019t nearly as vocal in the 2020 election, he used Mana Public Arts, <a href=\"https:\/\/manapublicarts.com\/purpose\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>an offshoot of Mana Contemporary<\/strong><\/a>, to launch \u201c<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/manapublicarts.com\/project-270\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Project 270<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">,\u201d a campaign to increase voter turnout among millennials and Gen-Z by \u201cflooding the country with Get Out The Vote (GOTV) images, posters, billboards, and other art\u201d in all fifty states, DC, and Puerto Rico. In an <\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CFzoksJAUye\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Instagram post<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, Mana points to \u201cThe Voter Party\u201d as a collaborator on Project 270. The group <\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/thevoterparty.org\/about\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">organizes artists to engage civically<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">&nbsp;to increase voter turnout and is fiscally sponsored by&nbsp;<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wearemarchon.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">March On<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, the organization behind the Women\u2019s March, who in their \u201c<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wearemarchon.org\/declaration-for-our-future\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Declaration For Our Future<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">,\u201d supports removing corporate money from politics.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Another chief sponsor of Project 270 is the Campus Vote Project, a subsidiary of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.influencewatch.org\/non-profit\/fair-elections-center-fair-elections-legal-network\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Fair Elections Center,<\/a> which according to <\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.influencewatch.org\/non-profit\/new-venture-fund\/#note-2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Influence Watch<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, was launched by the New Venture Fund, an organization that has been \u201ccriticized by right- and left-leaning observers for its role as the largest member of a multi-billion-dollar non-profit network of pass-through funders administered by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.influencewatch.org\/for-profit\/arabella-advisors\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Arabella Advisors<\/a>, a for-profit consultancy in Washington, DC.\u201d In April, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/04\/13\/business\/media\/wyss-tribune-company-buyer.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The New York Times<\/a> lambasted Arabella\u2019s \u201csystem of political financing, which often obscures the identities of donors,\u201d calling the New Venture Fund \u201ca leading vehicle\u201d for \u201cdark money\u201d funneling \u201con the Left.\u201d Project 270 was also associated with failed Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/fairfight.com\/about-fair-fight\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Fair Fight PAC<\/a> during the 2021 Senate runoff election.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Mana\u2019s Miami-based Murals For Humanity, another sponsor of Project 270, organized the creation of <\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/menslifedc.com\/2020\/10\/20\/vote-murals-for-humanity-brings-it-message-and-art-to-dc\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">street art in Washington DC<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">&nbsp;that featured cartoon people holding signs that said \u201cBLM,\u201d \u201cNo Justice No Peace,\u201d and \u201cVote Him Out,\u201d referring to then-President Trump. \u201cThis Is Our Moment,\u201d a self-declared \u201c<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/thisisourmoment.us\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">grassroots organization<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u201d sponsor of Project 270 that is now defunct, also used their Facebook page to encourage voter registration through a targeted social media campaign.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">In October 2020, after President Trump contracted the coronavirus, Mana&nbsp;<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CF4vag4Apgw\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">posted<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> that his \u201cthoughts and prayers are with the virus at this difficult time.\u201d Once the 2020 election results were announced, Mana went on a meme-fueled posting spree on his Instagram, including a video depicting President Trump being&nbsp;<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CHTRHmBAJop\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">thrown through a glass window<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, capped off with a picture of him in front of his 2016 Trump Joker mural captioned, \u201cwe fought hard.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CHa9MZcgCqe\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\" readability=\"-9.3947368421053\"><\/blockquote>\n<p>Amidst concerns of the potentially compromising nature of Hunter Biden\u2019s art sales due to his status as the son of the president, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.law.columbia.edu\/faculty\/richard-briffault\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Columbia Law Professor Richard Briffault<\/a>, an expert on campaign finance and law of the political process, told the Daily Caller that \u201cthis may be one of those areas where there is not a lot of legal rules.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen you have adult children of elected officials, say, presidential children, active in the world and making money, there is always a concern that one of the ways they can make money is from people who want to go through them to get to the president. This is not the first time we\u2019ve come up with concerns about presidential relatives. Look at Billy Carter, Hugh Rodham, or the Trump children; these are all people who at various times had been accused of making money based on the fact that they were the brother, the brother-in-law, or the children of the president.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>With regard to possible legislation that would require more transparency among the family of elected officials, Briffault said that ideally, \u201cthe president should have a rule to not talk about any business with his children,\u201d but \u201cit\u2019s hard to enforce anything like this.\u201d The Columbia Law Professor added that it may be beneficial \u201cto have a rule that requires more disclosure on the part of the spouses and children of senior elected officials.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In July, Florida Representative Milk Waltz introduced The Preventing Anonymous Income By Necessitating Transparency of Executive Relatives Act, abbreviated to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/now\/house-republican-offers-bill-force-220600386.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">PAINTER Act<\/a>. The bill, proposed in response to the launch of Hunter Biden\u2019s art career, was designed to force non-dependent children of the President and Vice President to have the same disclosure responsibilities as the spouses of these executive officeholders. Republican members of the House Oversight and Reform Committee have previously sent Hunter Biden\u2019s art dealer George Berg\u00e9s a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/hunter-biden-art-auction-house-republican-investigation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">letter<\/a> requesting documents detailing any ethical arrangements with the White House, price-setting guidelines, a list of potential Milk Studios attendees, and other communications about the art sales. However, with Congressional Republicans currently in the minority, they would need Democratic support to subpoena.<strong><br \/><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Milk Studios is a subsidiary of&nbsp;<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"http:\/\/milkgroup.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Milk Group<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> which owns several brands at the forefront of the American fashion and arts scene. Besides Milk Studios\u2019 two locations in New York and Los Angeles, Milk Group oversees an agency, production services, event planning, and a burgeoning makeup line, all while becoming a staple of New York\u2019s annual Fashion Week.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">In 1983, Mana left Israel with little money in his pocket and<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> came to New York in 1983 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thenextmiami.com\/moishe-mana-now-billionaire-thanks-miami-property-boom\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">overstaying his visa.<\/a> He worked as a dishwasher before scraping together enough money to start a moving business that soon blossomed into the <\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.haaretz.com\/.premium-building-a-new-tribeca-in-jersey-city-1.5287477\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">largest independent moving company<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> in the tri-state area by the 1990s. Now a billionaire, Mana has amassed millions of square footage of real estate around the United States and the globe, becoming the <\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/profilemiamire.com\/miamirealestate\/2021\/7\/7\/moishe-manas-mana-common-adds-to-downtown-miami-portfolio-with-12375-million-development-site-acquisition\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">largest private landowner in Miami<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">While Mana was the primary financial backer of Milk Studios upon its inception, Mazdack Rassi is the company\u2019s face. Born in Tehran, Rassi moved to Chicago at a young age because his father, a former Iranian diplomat, was <\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2012\/08\/09\/fashion\/a-rebels-cause-fortifying-the-fashion-flock.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">concerned about the Iranian Revolution<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">. Rassi convinced Mana and fellow Israeli-American Erez Shternlicht in the mid-90s to&nbsp;<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2012\/08\/09\/fashion\/a-rebels-cause-fortifying-the-fashion-flock.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">convert one of his storage facilities<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">&nbsp;in New York\u2019s meatpacking district into Milk Studios. Today, Rassi is a bonafide celebrity who mingles with the likes of&nbsp;<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/pagesix.com\/2015\/01\/24\/kanye-gives-rambling-8-minute-speech-at-awards-show\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Kanye West<\/span><\/a> while<span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> consistently being featured<\/span> in <a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thecut.com\/2009\/08\/156_minutes_with_mazdack_rassi.html#_ga=2.161156601.59019426.1635273230-793323639.1634944361\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">the mainstream press<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Although Rassi did not contribute much to Joe Biden\u2019s presidential campaign in 2020, per <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fec.gov\/data\/receipts\/individual-contributions\/?contributor_name=mazdack+rassi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">FEC filings<\/a>, R<span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">assi has donated thousands of dollars to Democrats, including sizable contributions to Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton\u2019s presidential campaigns. In 2014, after his MADE Fashion Week concept became a dominant event in the fashion industry\u2019s annual calendar, the Clinton Foundation, at the behest of Chelsea Clinton, donated a <\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/news\/daily-news\/2014\/09\/bill-hillary-clinton-fashion-week-elephant\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">ten-foot-tall inflatable pink elephant<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> to Milk Studios to raise awareness for the illegal ivory trade in Africa. In 2011, Milk Studios New York hosted an event by Evolve electric motorcycles where Rassi attended, and former President <a href=\"https:\/\/guestofaguest.com\/new-york\/party-crasher\/last-nights-parties-evolve-throws-a-motorcycle-party-at-milk-studios-and-paper-magazine-parties-with-frye\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Bill Clinton partied with Alec Baldwin<\/a>. Rassi has <\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gettyimages.co.nz\/detail\/news-photo\/jamie-biden-and-mazdack-rassi-attend-fotorelief-and-a-milk-news-photo\/819072200\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">maintained a close friendship<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> with President Biden\u2019s nephew, Jamie Biden, a New York DJ for years. The fashion entrepreneur also posted an Instagram video at Milk Studios Los Angeles the day after Hunter Biden\u2019s art event took place. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Milk Studios and Rassi did not respond to multiple requests for comment.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CUjKGL6lYZS\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\" readability=\"-8.925\"><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A billionaire with a history of using art to steer donor cash and support for the presidential campaigns of Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden is at the center of a &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":149,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-946633","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/946633","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/149"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=946633"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/946633\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=946633"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=946633"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=946633"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}