![Devon Archer, Hunter Biden's former business partner, arrives on Capitol Hill to give closed-door testimony to the House Oversight Committee in the Republican-led investigations into Hunter Biden](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/world-news/2023/08/01/TELEMMGLPICT000344514727_16908721310820_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqpVlberWd9EgFPZtcLiMQf0Rf_Wk3V23H2268P_XkPxc.jpeg?imwidth=680)
Hunter Biden ‘put his father on speakerphone to sell the brand’
Congressional committee told that current US president was used by his son to help convince potential business investors
![Devon Archer, Hunter Biden's former business partner, arrives on Capitol Hill to give closed-door testimony to the House Oversight Committee in the Republican-led investigations into Hunter Biden](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/world-news/2023/08/01/TELEMMGLPICT000344514727_16908721310820_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqpVlberWd9EgFPZtcLiMQf0Rf_Wk3V23H2268P_XkPxc.jpeg?imwidth=680)
Joe Biden was put on speakerphone at least 20 times by his son Hunter to “sell the brand” to potential business partners and investors, a congressional committee has been told.
Republicans described the evidence from Devon Archer, Hunter Biden’s long-term business partner, as “damning” as they explore a potential impeachment inquiry against the United States president.
Mr Archer, 49, was regarded as a potential star witness by the Republican-led House Oversight Committee which subpoenaed him.
Republicans on the committee allege Hunter Biden used his father’s status when he was vice-president in an influence-peddling scheme.
Mr Archer was questioned about whether Joe Biden was directly involved. Mr Archer smiled but refused to answer questions from journalists as he arrived for the closed-door hearing at the O’Neill Office Building, in Washington DC.
His lawyer said he planned to answer the committee “honestly”.
Promoting the ‘brand’
He told the committee the speakerphone appearances by Joe Biden happened more than 20 times and the purpose was to promote the “brand”.
Mr Archer was also questioned about the identity of the “big guy”, who is mentioned as a financial beneficiary of Hunter Biden’s business dealings in emails found on his laptop.
During a break in the hearing, Republican congressman Andy Biggs said: “Archer talked about the ‘big guy’ and how Hunter Biden always said ‘we need to talk to my guy’ and ‘when my guy’s going to be here’ – that type of thing.”
Asked if the evidence compromised Joe Biden, Mr Biggs said: “I think so.”
According to Republicans, the private hearing was also told that Joe Biden attended a business dinner in 2014 in Washington with Hunter and his associates, as well as the widow of the former mayor of Moscow.
Joe Biden has repeatedly denied that he ever discussed his son’s business dealings with him.
However, prior to the hearing, the committee said it would ask Mr Archer about “all the times he has witnessed Joe Biden meeting with Hunter Biden’s overseas business partners when he was vice-president, including on speakerphone”.
Members of the committee made clear in advance that they intended to focus heavily on Burisma, a Ukrainian energy company for which both Hunter Biden and Mr Archer served on the board.
They have been investigating an unverified tip to the FBI that alleged a bribery scheme involving Joe Biden when he was vice-president.
The claim was that Joe Biden pressured Ukraine to fire its top prosecutor to halt an investigation into Burisma, while Hunter Biden and Mr Archer were on the board.
James Comer, the Republican chairman of the oversight committee, has said Mr Archer played a “significant role in the Biden family’s business deals abroad, including but not limited to China, Russia, and Ukraine”.
Mr Comer added: “We know that Devon Archer has met and communicated many, many times with Joe Biden about Burisma and other things.”
Mr Archer and Hunter Biden became friends at Yale, and later co-founded the investment firm Rosemont Seneca Partners.
They were both photographed playing golf with Joe Biden in 2014, when he was vice-president.
Mr Archer was later convicted in an unrelated case over his role in a conspiracy to defraud a Native American tribe. He has been sentenced to one year in jail, but is yet to start the sentence.
Following Mr Archer’s original conviction in that case in 2018, Hunter Biden reportedly texted him, apparently referring to the Department of Justice as “motherf-----s” and adding that he and Mr Archer would “have the last laugh”.
A decade ago, Hunter Biden emailed Mr Archer to thank him for being “a great friend through thick and thin”.
‘Impeachment inquiry’
Mr Archer’s appearance before the committee came as Republicans explored the possibility of an impeachment inquiry against Joe Biden.
Kevin McCarthy, the Republican House Speaker, said last week that “this is rising to the level of impeachment inquiry”.
Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the oversight committee, accused Republicans of creating a “false and distorted narrative” about the Biden family.
Chris Swecker, former assistant director of the FBI, said: “They were selling access. They do the big setup, and then they put Joe Biden on the phone.
“It just shows they have access. Here he is, he’s on the phone. I just told you we can do things for you ... and there he is.”
Mr Swecker said when one also considered the firing of the Burisma prosecutor: “Boy, you’re really close to a slam dunk in my opinion”.
Dan Goldman, a Democrat on the oversight committee, said that during his speakerphone appearances, Joe Biden “didn’t even know who the people” with his son were, and that he “was just asked to say hello”.
Mr Goldman said the hearing was told that the then-vice president talked about the weather.
He said Mr Archer testified that “none of those conversations had to do with business and were purely casual”.