CBS News reported that on the previous Friday, the House Oversight Committee made public a transcript of the closed-door testimony provided by Devon Archer.
Archer, who was formerly associated with President Biden’s son Hunter, gave his testimony in a private hearing the Monday before last, addressing Oversight counsel and select members.
During discussions about Hunter’s involvement with the board of Ukrainian gas company Burisma Holdings, Archer disclosed that Hunter was leveraging the Biden “brand,” and that Joe Biden was the primary contributor to the brand’s value. He expressed his belief that if the Biden name wasn’t associated with it, Burisma would likely have faced business failure.
During the interaction with Arizona Republican Andy Biggs, Archer was queried about whether the Biden “brand” extended to any other member of the Biden family, or if it specifically referred to Joe Biden. Archer acknowledged that it was reasonable to conclude that the brand was indeed associated with Joe Biden.
Members of the committee who belonged to the Republican Party posed questions to Archer about two occasions when Hunter’s foreign business associates joined him for dinners at a restaurant in Washington, DC, during the years 2014 and 2015. Archer recollected that then-Vice President Biden was present at the 2014 dinner, where a Burisma executive and Russian billionaire Yelena Baturina were also in attendance.
Archer also disclosed that in April 2014, Hunter received a sum of $142,300, which he utilized to acquire a high-end sports car.
As outlined in the transcript, Archer shared that Joe Biden participated in telephone discussions with business contacts and potential associates through speakerphone on approximately 20 occasions while he and Hunter were engaged in business ventures together. He clarified that including Joe Biden in these conversations was part of their strategy to promote the Biden “brand.” When inquired about the nature of the discussions when Joe Biden was on speakerphone, Archer described them as “casual conversations,” touching upon topics like weather, fishing, or similar subjects.
However, Archer also indicated that these calls held more significance than mere casual chitchat, emphasizing that they also carried a substantial “powerful” message.
