In a Capitol Hill testimony on Monday, Devon Archer, a former business associate of Hunter Biden, revealed that the President’s son had facilitated phone conversations between his father, President Joe Biden, and various clients even before Joe Biden assumed the presidency.
This testimony comes as a part of an ongoing investigation into the Biden family’s business dealings, led by House Oversight Committee Republicans.
Archer, while maintaining that Joe Biden was not directly involved in their financial transactions, recounted that Hunter Biden often connected his father to calls. Archer stated, “Hunter spoke to his father every day, and approximately 20 times over the course of a 10-year relationship, Hunter may have put his father on the phone with any number of different people.” He further emphasized that these conversations were unrelated to any business dealings or transactions.
Despite Archer’s claims, Republicans have persistently alleged that Joe Biden was aware of his son’s business activities and potentially engaged in influence-peddling while serving as Vice President. The White House has vehemently denied these allegations, dismissing them as unfounded conjecture.
The testimony also follows Hunter Biden’s recent decision to plead not guilty to two misdemeanor tax charges. This unexpected move contrasts with an initial agreement to plead guilty under the terms negotiated with federal prosecutors, leading some Republicans to label it a “sweetheart deal.”
Lyin’ Joe Biden?
Comer told Fox News on Monday that the President had been dishonest, explaining: “The evidence continues to mount and today we saw Joe Biden has lied to the American people. He knew exactly who his son was getting those millions and millions of dollars of wires from, he spoke to them, and he spoke to them often”.
Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.), commenting on Archer’s testimony, clarified that there was no indication of Joe Biden’s active involvement in his son’s business dealings. “None of those conversations ever had to do with any business dealings or transactions,” Goldman asserted.
Goldman has disagreed with Republican claims and urged Comer to release the hearing transcript during an appearance on CNN.
Nonetheless, some Republicans, including Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ), argue that Archer’s revelations still implicate the president. According to Biggs, Archer testified that the Ukrainian gas company Burisma Holdings LLC, where both Archer and Biden served on the board, relied on the Biden name for credibility.
On the other hand, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) interpreted Archer’s testimony as evidence of Joe Biden’s involvement in his son’s business affairs, drawing conclusions that conflict with the prevailing Democratic viewpoint.
Who is Archer?
Devon Archer partnered with Hunter Biden in 2014 when they both joined the board of Burisma Holdings LLC. Additionally, Archer co-founded Rosemont Seneca Partners, a private equity firm, with Biden’s scandal-hit son and Christopher Heinz in 2009. Heinz is stepson to former Secretary of State John Kerry.
Comer had previously subpoenaed Archer to testify about the Biden family’s overseas business transactions. Comer had expressed the belief that Archer could provide insight into Joe Biden’s potential involvement in such dealings.
Archer’s 2018 conviction related to a scheme involving fraudulent bonds, adds complexity to his credibility. He was sentenced to prison, and recent allegations regarding the timing of a Justice Department letter about his surrender have raised suspicions among some Republicans.
His attorney, Matthew Schwartz has dismissed these speculations, asserting Archer’s commitment to cooperating with the Congressional investigators and addressing their questions honestly.
Georgia Gilholy is a journalist based in the United Kingdom who has been published in Newsweek, The Times of Israel, and the Spectator. Gilholy writes about international politics, culture, and education.
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