A man claiming to be an artist vandalized the Soho gallery on Friday where Hunter Biden is having an art show, with paintings being sold for as much as $500,000.
The man, who identified himself as Rod Webber, was removed from the upscale gallery by NYPD officers after spray painting 'Daddy' on the wall.
Witnesses told DailyMail.com he also threw a pile of bills onto the floor of the gallery.
Webber, who has a long history of provocative stunts, had previewed his latest act on Facebook, writing earlier on Friday: 'Art gallery promotes crime family.
Filmmaker Arrested for Attempting to Spray Paint "Daddy War Crimes" on the Windows of the Soho Gallery Where Hunter's Art Show Will Take Place (and the buyers of Hunter's art will remain 'Anonymous')https://t.co/Si1FT4kSnU
— Titania (@Titania977) July 9, 2021
'What will happen today is no worse than Ellis Gallagher scribbling with chalk that washes off in the rain.'
Gallagher is a chalk artist who in 2010 sued the city for removing his chalk art.
Webber later added: 'Who's ready for a weird live stream?'
It came on a day when the White House at the daily press briefing publicly defended Hunter Biden's right to produce his art and sell it on the open market.
The cash Webber threw in the air remained on the floor until police removed him.
One witness said Webber had intended to write 'Daddy War Crimes,' before he was stopped – a claim Webber would later repeat.
Webber documented his act of vandalism in a Facebook Live, telling viewers: 'I'm at Georges Berges gallery here, otherwise known as the Hunter Biden gallery.
'As we all know, going back for many, many years - roughly 40 years - Joe Biden has involved himself in all kinds of shenanigans.
'Ask any politician - you can't avoid being corrupted by the office. Maybe he went in with good intentions, but he's been corrupted over the years. He's worked with segregationists, Klansmen. And now, I don't even know what's going on with this gallery situation but he can't stop bombing Syria or Iraq and someone should say something about it, so let's go see Hunter Biden's gallery.'
He walks into the art gallery, and for several minutes wanders around the room, before bringing out a can of what appeared to be spray paint - but what he said was hair spray.
He begins spraying the walls, only for a gallery staff member to wrap his arms around Webber.
'You are assaulting me,' Webber says.
The man replies: 'This is a citizen's arrest.'
Webber responds: 'Oh, because you're down with Joe Biden's war crimes?'
Webber had also previewed his attack on his blog, writing: 'New Daddy is same as the old Daddy. Bombings in Syria and Iraq. Endless wars. Weapons of Mass Destruction was a lie.
'Art Gallery promotes crime family.'
The witness said a gallery staff member slammed Webber to the floor before he could complete his protest, and that it was not police who did the take-down.
Webber was wearing paint-splattered pants, and was seated on the gallery floor in the company of several NYPD officers after the incident. He was also briefly looked at by EMTs.
As police officers removed him from the scene, Webber said he wrote 'Daddy war crimes with hair spray – which washes off like any sidewalk art' – although the word 'Daddy' was all that could be seen on the wall in pink lettering.
A staff member could be seen painting over the graffiti shortly after the incident ended.
Asked by DailyMail.com why he vandalized the gallery as he was being led to a squad car, Webber yelled out: 'Because Hunter Biden is helping to launder money for his godfather. That's why Daddy War Crimes were the words on the wall.'
'Biden is here to launder money for the oligarchs and to do business for his masters to hurt brown people across the other side of the globe,' he continued.
He yelled: 'Download that s***.'
An NYPD officer, asked about the pile of bills on the gallery floor, said: 'We don't know whose money that is yet.'
Nadja Rosemaddder, who described himself as a renaissance artist who intends to be one of the first artists to go to the moon, saw the attack.
'I saw him - he was hitting the floor right in the doorway, by the man inside,' he said.
'While he was writing on the wall, the gallery employee kind of body-slammed him to the ground. The money was already scattered out on the floor.'
Rosemaddder said he intervened to get the gallery to release Webber so he wasn't harmed.
'And then I grabbed some dollar bills,' he said.
The gallery has not responded to DailyMail.com's request for comment. NYPD said they had not yet processed him.
White House Press Secretary earlier on Friday Jen Psaki said Hunter Biden had a 'right to pursue an artistic career,' as she tried to justify the administration's role in brokering arrangements for the sale of his paintings.
@yrteribleMuriel Meet him at his opening in a SoHo gallery. pic.twitter.com/NxPYTiYh9Y
— LindaT (@BmoreObservant) July 9, 2021
It followed revelations that the White House helped set up a deal for buyers' identities to remain hidden to ensure they did not win presidential favors.
This White House has frequently promised full transparency in pursuit of the highest ethical standards. Now that means secrecy.
'I think it would be challenging for an anonymous person, who we don't know and Hunter Biden doesn't know, to have influence,' said Psaki during her daily briefing.
The plan will allow Hunter Biden to forge ahead with his new life as an artist after a career change from high-paid consultant on international deals.
The deal came about after Biden administration staffers reached out to Hunter's lawyers to forge a plan intended to 'avoid' ethics concerns and let the president's son pursue his new career.
Psaki confirmed that the White House had been involved.
'Of course he has the right to pursue an artistic career just like any child of a president has the right to pursue a career, but all interactions regarding the selling of art and the setting of prices will be handled by a professional gallerist, adhering to the highest industry standards, and any offer out of the normal course would be rejected out of hand,' she said.
'And the gallerist will not share information about buyers or prospective buyers, including their identities with Hunter Biden or the administration, which provides quite a level of protection and transparency.'
This article has been adapted from its original source.
