WASHINGTON — First son Hunter Biden will join the most powerful and influential members of American society Thursday night at his father’s first state dinner as president, according to the official guest list.
The disgraced first son has been a pervasive presence near his father since mid-November as House Republicans vow to probe President Biden’s role in his family’s foreign consulting work when they reclaim subpoena power in January.
Others on the guest list for the dinner honoring French President Emmanuel Macron include actresses Jennifer Garner and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, singer John Legend, CBS “Late Show” host Stephen Colbert, “Morning Joe” hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski and “Good Morning America” co-anchor Robin Roberts.
Vogue editor Anna Wintour also will attend just a week after her magazine published a controversial fluff piece on the White House wedding of Hunter’s eldest daughter Naomi — which, in a break from historical practice was otherwise closed to the press, supposedly to respect the couple’s privacy.
Political leaders also received invites, including Louisiana Democratic Gov. John Bell Edwards, outgoing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), who is best-positioned to succeed Pelosi.
Other Biden family members on the guest list include the president’s sister Valerie Owens and daughter Ashley Biden.
Hunter Biden is under federal investigation for possible tax fraud, money laundering, illegal foreign lobbying and allegedly lying about his drug use on a gun-purchase form.
Since his father took office last year, Hunter launched a new art career and is seeking as much as $500,000 for his novice works. The White House developed a plan for those art sales to be “anonymous” to theoretically prevent corruption, though ethics experts say that the arrangement could make matters worse.
Hunter received at least $375,000 last year for five prints at a Los Angeles art show attended by one of his father’s ambassador nominees, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. It’s unclear how many additional sales he may have made.
Biden has denied making any money from his son’s overseas business deals and the White House says he stands by his 2019 claim that he has never even discussed the enterprises with his son — despite evidence that he has interacted with Hunter and first brother James Biden’s associates from China, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Russia and Ukraine.
Hunter Biden has attended many White House events as prosecutors reportedly weigh criminal charges.
The first son attended the National Christmas Tree lighting ceremony Wednesday after returning to Washington on Sunday from a six-day Biden family vacation on Nantucket. He was at the White House Nov. 19 for his daughter’s wedding and reappeared at the traditional turkey pardon Nov. 21 before traveling the next day to the Massachusetts island with his dad.
Attorney General Merrick Garland has resisted calls to appoint a special counsel to insulate the ongoing Hunter Biden investigation from political pressure — despite naming a special counsel Nov. 18 to oversee a pair of investigations into former President Donald Trump.
