Hunter Biden’s former business partner, Devon Archer, told lawmakers in a closed door testimony earlier this week that he is “not aware of any” wrongdoing by Joe Biden as House Republicans investigate whether then-Vice-President Biden changed US policy to benefit his son.
“I have no basis to know if he altered policy to benefit his son. … I have no knowledge,” Archer told lawmakers, according to a transcript of his testimony released by House Oversight Committee, James Comer (R-Ky) on Thursday.
Archer also told lawmakers there were about 20 phone calls in which Hunter would put his father on speakerphone in the presence of business associates. But, they never discussed official business. Archer recalled that their brief conversations focus on mundane topics like the weather.
“There are touch points and contact points that I can’t deny that happened, but nothing of material was discussed,” Archer said.
Archer testified that Hunter’s actions were to give the false impression of access and power to executives on the board of Burisma, the Ukrainian energy company, where Hunter served as a board member.
During the deposition, Democratic Rep. Dan Goldman asked Archer of it is “fair to say that Hunter Biden was selling the illusion of access to his father?”
“Yes,” Archer replied.
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) the top Democrat on the House Oversight committee released a statement on Thursday reiterating that the Republican-led investigation found no direct evidence Biden was involved, profited, or influenced by his son’s business dealings.
“Once again, Committee Republicans’ priority investigation into President Biden has failed to produce any evidence of wrongdoing by President Biden,” Raskin said.
“The transcript released today shows the extent to which Congressional Republicans are willing to distort, twist, and manipulate the facts presented by their own witness just to keep fueling the far-right media’s obsession with fabricating wrongdoing by President Biden in a desperate effort to distract from Donald Trump’s third indictment and the overwhelming evidence of his persistent efforts to undermine American democracy,” Raskin added.
The transcript was released on the same day former President Donald Trump is being arraigned on four charges relating to his attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.
