Devon Archer’s testimony left Democrats and Republicans with different opinions, as the former Hunter Biden business associate offered evidence into the House GOP’s investigation into President Joe Biden and the first son’s business dealings.
Archer testified behind closed doors before the House Oversight Committee as Republicans attempt to link Joe Biden to his son’s foreign business affairs in a broader effort to investigate the Biden administration.
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Here are the takeaways from Archer’s testimony and what comes next for the key players.
Conference calls give insight into President Joe Biden’s involvement
Archer testified that Hunter Biden put the president on speakerphone nearly 20 times when he was speaking with business associates to give the “illusion” that he had access to his father.
The 20 occasions occurred over a 10-year period back when Biden was serving as vice president.
Archer said Hunter Biden and Joe Biden would engage in “casual conversation, niceties, the weather, what’s going on” and that there “wasn’t a single conversation” about any of Hunter Biden’s business dealings, according to Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY).
Republicans vs. Democrats
Republicans and Democrats viewed Archer’s testimony through different lenses.
GOP lawmakers said the testimony shows Joe Biden “lied” about his knowledge of his son’s alleged misconduct. The president and White House spokespeople have made repeated statements that he was not involved in his son’s work, particularly Hunter Biden’s connection to Burisma, a Ukrainian energy company.
Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ) told reporters that he believed Archer’s testimony “implicate[s] the president.”
Biggs said Archer testified that “Burisma would have gone out of business sooner if the Biden brand had not been invoked. People would be intimidated to legally mess with Burisma because of the Biden family brand.”
Democrats, on the other hand, say Archer’s testimony proves that the House Oversight Committee does not have a case against Joe Biden.
Ranking member Jamie Raskin (D-MD) said in a statement that Archer confirmed that “President Biden was not involved in his son’s business affairs, and that President Biden was never asked to, nor did he, take any official actions in relation to those business matters.”
What’s next for Hunter Biden and Devon Archer?
Off of Capitol Hill, Archer is battling with the Justice Department over the prison time that he has yet to serve.
Archer was convicted in July 2018 on two felony charges for his role in a conspiracy to defraud a Native American tribe. Despite being sentenced in 2022, he has avoided prison time due to a series of appeals that his defense has filed.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York asked a judge to set a reporting date for Archer, which Republicans decried as interference in Archer’s testimony before the House GOP-led committee.
Archer’s attorney is expected to issue a formal reply to the U.S. attorney’s demands by Wednesday.
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Meanwhile, Hunter Biden recently pleaded not guilty to federal charges, despite having an original plea deal with the DOJ. He was set to plead guilty to two tax misdemeanors to avoid a felony gun charge, but the judge overseeing the plea deal raised concerns that ultimately led to a delay in the case.
Prosecutors and the defense have less than 30 days to come up with new terms for the plea deal. However, the judge’s deferral does not mean the original plea deal between Hunter Biden and prosecutors is dead.
