Ever since Devon Archer testified in a closed-door hearing with the House Oversight Committee, the Democrats have been in panic mode. Republicans on the committee came forward to say Archer proved that Joe Biden lied about not talking to Hunter Biden or his business partners about business. Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.), the only Democrat who participated in the hearing, insisted that it was a huge nothing-burger.
Goldman claimed 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.” He also claimed that Joe Biden only exchanged “niceties” with Hunter’s business partners and that Joe Biden was oblivious to the people he was talking to.
Now, serious people know better than to believe this. but Biden’s defenders are citing Goldman’s assessment as gospel. But what did Archer really say? Well, the transcript of the hearing hasn’t been released yet, but he sat down for an interview with Tucker Carlson, which gave us some very telling information.
For example, when Carlson asked what skills Hunter Biden had for the business he was doing, Archer explained that Hunter “had a very big network in D.C. and brought that know-how and understanding of D.C. and, ultimately, the Biden brand.” Archer went on to explain that Hunter’s biggest asset for the business was the “Biden brand.”
“Do you think that he would have been in those businesses, not having a business background, without his father being in a government position?” Carlson asked as a follow-up.
“It’s hard to speculate, in those regards. I mean, I think when we initially met and he talked about his advisory business — It seemed like a new and interesting network for us to expand our business — Obviously the brand of Biden, you know, adds a lot of power when your dad is the vice president,” Archer told him.
Another telling moment was when Archer admitted that Hunter’s access to his father was the most valuable thing he brought to the table:
TUCKER: "Did [Hunter] have a sophisticated understanding of regulation?"
DEVON ARCHER: "I think that he led a team…"
TUCKER: *throws head back laughing*
DEVON ARCHER: "He was an expert in knowing 'the guy.'"
TUCKER: "And who was the guy?"
DEVON ARCHER: "He knew a lot of… pic.twitter.com/e5eNW5qnZP
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) August 2, 2023
As for the phone calls that Goldman claimed were totally innocent and were essentially exculpatory, Archer clearly never gave that impression.
“To be clear, sometimes it was as the call was coming in, and the speaker would go on. So it was it’s just the present — you have to be — I mean, you’re — you understand D.C., right? So the power to have that access in that conversation, it’s not in a scheduled conference call, and it’s a part of your family. That’s like the pinnacle of power in D.C.,” he explained. What Archer was saying was that just having Joe Biden present during the conversation was sending a message of valuable access and influence.
At the end of the interview, Carlson showed Archer a personal letter from Joe Biden to Archer, dated Jan. 20, 2011, while Joe was vice president and Archer was a partner at Rosemont Seneca — his business with Hunter Biden. In the letter, Joe apologizes to Archer for not being able to meet him because he’d been hosting President Hu Jintao of China.
“Here’s the vice president of the United States, saying to you, a man in his mid-30s who’s not a government official, ‘I’m sorry, I was occupied with the guy who runs the world’s largest country. I would much rather talk to you, and thank you.’ What was he thanking you for?”
Archer explained that this was the beginning of their partnership, and Joe was thanking him and Hunter “for bringing this idea of this government regulatory strategic advisory business into the private equity world, and I think he was excited about the prospects for Hunter, and, you know, he was just thanking me. I think it was a nice gesture.”
Tucker agreed that it was a nice gesture but noted, “He’s the Vice President of the United States, and he’s talking about foreign business deals with you and thanking you for that.”
“He’s not allowed to be working on businesses with foreign governments while he’s vice president,” Tucker added. “I don’t think.”
“Not that I know of,” Archer said.
TUCKER: Joe Biden is "not allowed to be working on businesses with foreign governments while he's Vice President!"
DEVON ARCHER: "Not that I know of!"
TUCKER: "But here he is!"
DEVON ARCHER: "Right." pic.twitter.com/DZ9VLC5gXl
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) August 2, 2023
According to Goldman, Joe Biden’s participation in phone calls and meetings with Hunter’s business associates was just exchanging pleasantries and talking about the weather. Archer made it very clear that Hunter Biden was selling access. “Understanding the regulatory environment means selling access, at the end of the day,” Archer explained.
