DID THE 'BIG GUY' GET A 10% STAKE IN HUNTER'S CHINESE BUSINESS DEAL?

Devon Archer, Hunter Biden's business partner, gives testimony to Congress that then-VP Joe Biden was on more than 20 business calls with his son

Republicans claim Archer's testimony added to evidence Joe was involved in Hunter's overseas deals that raked in millions from Ukraine, China and Romania. 

 

By Morgan Phillips, Kelly Laco and Harriet Alexander 

 

Daily Mail

July 31, 2023

 

Hunter's Biden's former friend and business partner Devon Archer arrived on Capitol Hill Monday to give bombshell testimony before the House Oversight Committee

 

Hunter Biden's business partner Devon Archer told Congress in bombshell testimony the 'Biden brand' helped keep Ukrainian firm Burisma from going bankrupt and revealed Joe was on the phone or present in-person at least 20 times while his son who called him 'my guy' was talking with foreign associates.

Republicans claim Archer's testimony added to mounting evidence that the then-Vice President was involved in Hunter's overseas deals that raked in millions from nations including China and Romania. Democrats claimed the phone calls were innocent and did not involve business.  

Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., confirmed Archer told the House Oversight Committee that Joe had been on speakerphone multiple times while his son was talking with business partners - but insisted they were talking about 'niceties' like talking about 'the weather, "what's going on?"'

Republican Rep. Andy Biggs then said that, according to Archer, Hunter was on the Ukrainian energy firm board because of his family 'brand' - and Joe added 'value' and may have helped take down a Ukrainian prosecutor investigating the company.

In addition, Archer revealed that Hunter referred to Joe as 'my guy,' according to a statement put out by Oversight Republicans. 

Goldman - lead counsel on the first Trump impeachment and the only Democrat present in the room of the testimony - told reporters that Archer 'indicated that 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, and they never once spoke about any business dealings.'

'Remember, this is when Beau got ill,' Goldman said, noting that Hunter and Joe spoke on the phone frequently before Beau's death in 2015. 

But Republicans had a different retelling of Archer's account. 

Biggs said as he left the room that Archer had testified 'Burisma would have gone out of business sooner if the Biden brand had not been invoked. People would be intimidated to really mess with Burisma because of the Biden family brand.' 

He added that Archer had told the committee he did not know anything about the specific bribery claims made in the FBI's FD-1023 document.

The internal document, which detailed a conversation with a confidential source who had spoken with Burisma CFO Vadim Pojarski in 2015, said that Pojarski had claimed Joe and Hunter had been paid $5 million each when Joe was vice president in exchange for policy outcomes favorable to the company. 

A Democratic source familiar told DailyMail.com that Archer told the committee 'Hunter Biden was selling the illusion of access to his father.'  

Archer testified Monday that Pozharskyi and CEO Nikola Zlochevsky put 'constant pressure' on Hunter in 2015 to get his father to fire prosecutor Viktor Shokin, who was investigating Burisma.

Hunter Biden, along with Zlochevsky and Pozharski, reportedly 'called D.C.' to discuss Shokin. In March 2016, Joe Biden threatened to withhold $1 billion in aid to Ukraine if Shokin was not fired for corruption. 

Separately, in a 2017 email to Hunter, his uncle Jim and other business partners regarding a deal with Chinese energy conglomerate CEFC, business partner James Gilliar made a reference to the 'big guy' getting a 10 percent stake in the lucrative deal. 

Another former associate of the first son, U.S. Navy veteran Tony Bobulinski, publicly claimed in October 2020 that 'big guy' was a reference to President Biden. 

Oversight member Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene told DailyMail.com in an interview Archer testified that 'the Bidens were in the actual business of influence peddling.' 

'It's extremely damning,' she said, claiming that the 20 phone conversations Archer referred to were directly about business deals. 

'We have Devon Archer coming out and telling the truth that Hunter Biden and Joe Biden spoke over 20 times about his business deals, not about the weather, not about what was for lunch, about his business deals,' she said. 

Goldman explained Archer's testimony of the phone calls as such: sometimes Hunter would be at dinner with business partners and take a call from his dad who didn't know who else was at the table and put it on speaker phone. 

'There was no indication that he had any idea who was at dinner with them. It was just to say, "Hello I’m at dinner" and there was nothing related to his business dealings.' 

Judiciary Chairman and Oversight member Jim Jordan, who was in the room for the deposition, told reporters that Archer had provided the committee with new information and called the meeting 'very productive.' 

Archer's attorney Matthew Schwartz said after his client's testimony: 'We are aware that all sides are claiming victory following Mr. Archer’s voluntary interview today. But all Devon Archer did was exactly what we said he would: show up and answer the questions put to him honestly and completely.'

On Monday, Jordan along with committee chairs James Comer and Jason Smith launched an investigation into Hunter's 'sweetheart' plea deal, which fell apart in federal court last week.

Greene, who communicates regularly with Speaker Kevin McCarthy, said she believed Archer's testimony could be what 'moves the needle' on the potential Biden impeachment inquiry. 

She said that at last week's weekly meeting of the Republican conference, McCarthy told his members: 'when it's time to vote for this, I want you to be with me on this one.' 

'We have to have 218 Republicans to vote for it,' Greene said. 'And there's been some that just aren't there yet, but in my opinion, the information that's coming out today could really push many of them to get to "yes."'

Archer was on Burisma's board with Hunter, who was paid $50,000 a month for his role. He is facing a lengthy prison sentence for defrauding Native Americans out of millions. 

Donning a devil-may-care grin, Archer sauntered in 15 minutes late to his 10 a.m. deposition and declined to comment on reporters' shouted questions.

Archer arrived to speak to investigators as unearthed a laundry list of foreign influence violations Hunter could be charged with after his plea deal dramatically fell apart last week.

Archer's testimony also comes after a back-and-forth with the Department of Justice claiming it was not trying to have Archer jailed before his deposition over an unrelated fraud conviction.

The DOJ had sent a letter on July 29th to a New York judge calling for Archer's sentencing to be expedited. 

Republicans claim the move by DOJ was an attempt to 'intimidate' Archer, who they view as being central to providing information that is critical to their ongoing investigation into whether Joe Biden was involved in his son's foreign business deals. 

DOJ seemingly walked back their request in a fresh Sunday filing, telling District Judge Abrams that they do not wish to see Archer imprisoned before he testifies before Congress on Monday on the Biden's business schemes.

'To be clear, the Government does not request (and has never requested) that the defendant [Archer] surrender before his Congressional testimony,' the letter read.

For the avoidance of all doubt, the Government requests that any surrender date, should the Court order one, be scheduled to occur after the defendant's Congressional testimony is completed.' 

Oversight Chairman James Comer said Sunday that the DOJ's July 29 letter to Abrams was an attempt to 'intimidate' the witness he says is key to getting to the bottom of the president's son's shady overseas business deals.

 

Smiling and seemingly relaxed, Archer arrived 15 minutes late to his 10 a.m. deposition and remained silent to reporters' shouted questions

Archer is expected to give his account of the Biden family business dealings for four to five hours behind closed doors

Judiciary Chair and Oversight member Jim Jordan arrives on Capitol Hill for Archer's testimony

Hunter Biden, 53, is seen with his father on June 25, as the two continue to be the target of House investigations

US First lady Jill Biden and US President Joe Biden ride bikes through Gordon's Pond State Park in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware on July 31, 2022 - as Devon Archer testifies on the Biden family business deals

 

DailyMail.com reported exclusively this week that Archer was 'in hiding' after receiving 'threats' leading up to his bombshell testimony.

Archer, 48, was subpoenaed on June 12 by the House Oversight Committee, which is investigating Hunter's businesses and whether he and other members of the Biden family improperly traded on their connections.

It is unclear the motivation behind Archer's decision to testify on Monday. He previously cancelled on the committee at least three times in recent weeks.

Chairman Comer told Fox News' Larry Kudlow that Archer is appearing before his committee now because after he was subpoenaed, he 'doesn't have a whole lot of options.'

He said Republicans planned to hold him in contempt if he did not comply with the subpoena, which doesn't 'look good on your resume.'

'At the end of the day, I think that Archer wants to do the right thing,' he said. 'I think he wants to set the record straight and he is going to have an opportunity to do that.'

But Archer is facing legal troubles of his own and is expected to go to prison shortly. 

He was sentenced to one year and a day in prison in February 2022 for defrauding a Native American tribal entity and various investment advisory clients of tens of millions of dollars, in connection with the issuance of $60 million in bonds.

He is on the hook with his co-conspirators for $43.4 million in restitution over the fraud.

Archer's lawyer confirmed his upcoming meeting with Congress, adding that Archer had previously testified to a federal grand jury about his dealings with the Biden family – likely referring to Delaware prosecutor David Weiss' criminal investigation into the First Son.

 

Archer is facing legal troubles of his own and is expected to go to prison shortly

Hunter Biden's friend and business partner Devon Archer, 49, is expected to testify Monday before the House Oversight Committee about their businesses. Devon Archer (far left) is seen playing golf in the Hamptons with Hunter (far right) and Joe (next to Hunter)

Hunter and Archer both graduated from Yale and were friends for decades. They founded their consultancy together, and Hunter reportedly described Devon as his 'best friend in business.' The friends are pictured in an undated photo

 

'Devon Archer believes strongly in the rule of law and the democratic system, and is prepared to answer the Committee's questions just as he has already answered similar questions from a federal grand jury, the Department of Justice, and several other government agencies in their investigations concerning the Biden family,' said attorney Matthew Schwartz of Boies Schiller Flexner.

'There have been many leaks and much speculation about Mr. Archer's potential statement to the Oversight Committee, but next week, Mr. Archer will get to speak for himself.'

The White House has maintained the president was never 'in business' with his son, but the GOP have ramped up their investigation with testimonies from whistleblowers and a slew of other evidence.

Archer, 48, and Hunter both graduated from Yale and were friends for decades. Hunter has reportedly described Devon as his 'best friend in business.'

Together they formed Rosemont Seneca Partners back in 2009, along with Christopher Heinz, the son-in-law of former Sen. John Kerry, kicking off a period of international business deals and jet-setting.

Archer and Hunter Biden each landed lucrative seats on the board of Ukrainian energy firm Burisma, despite Hunter not having particular expertise in the field. The firm brought in a reported $11 million through the arrangement, based on information gleaned from Hunter's infamous laptop.

They were photographed golfing with then-Vice President Biden back in 2014.

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'My six-year-old daughter does better paintings than him!' Ron DeSantis mocks Hunter's art an asks why the FBI went after Trump and have ignored the president's son after Devon Archer's damning testimony

 

This artwork by Hunter Biden is untitled but measures 24in x 48in and was created on sheet metal. His art dealer has priced Biden's artworks between $75,000 and $500,000

Florida's first daughter Madison DeSantis, 6, drew a vase filled with yellow flowers that her father said he should auction off like President Joe Biden's son Hunter did with his amateur art

 

Ron DeSantis mocked Hunter Biden, 53, for his pricey artwork and said if he were a Republican he would already be in jail for his shady foreign business and criminal tax fraud.

The Florida governor told Fox News that Republican focus has not only unveiled these shady and illegal practices by the President's son – but has also thrown into the spotlight the uneven treatment of justice between people on the left and people on the right.

Putting even more prominently on display this unequal treatment was Hunter's one-time Burisma associate Devon Archer, who testified behind closed doors with House Republicans on Monday.

He reportedly told Oversight Republicans that there were a few dozen instances where he heard President Biden on speakerphone talking business with his son while associates were around.

'Well, this is why we say there's two standards of justice,' DeSantis told Fox News host Bret Baier. 'If Hunter were a Republican, he'd be in jail by now.'

You look at all this smoke. And yet the FBI – Where's the search warrants? Where's the grand jury? Where's the aggressiveness that they've shown going after some Republicans?' he questioned.

DeSantis added: 'You just don't see [it].'

Part of that corruption, the Florida governor and 2024 hopeful noted, is the prices paid for Hunter's amateur paintings.

Reports note that Hunter earned $1.3 million for his first-ever art show – another reason why Republicans claim he is using President Biden's influence to enrich himself, his father and his family.

DeSantis said his children could produce better paintings than the President's 53-year-old recovering addict son.

'I mean, Hunter, he's selling picked paintings for over $1,000,000,' DeSantis lamented. 'You know, my six-year-old daughter does better paintings than him. Maybe we'll put ours up and see what kind of thing she confesses.'

He conceded: 'I don't think we're going to get $1,000,000 on it.'