By Zachary Stieber
Hunter Biden’s former business partner is scheduled to testify to Congress as lawmakers look to dig deeper into connections between President Joe Biden, his son, and foreign nationals.
Devon Archer, the associate of Mr. Hunter Biden, is slated to testify to the House Oversight Committee on July 31.
“We look forward to speaking with Devon Archer on Monday about Joe Biden’s involvement in his family’s business affairs,” Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.), chairman of the panel, said in a statement.
The committee subpoenaed Mr. Archer on June 16 and has been working since then to schedule a deposition.
“Devon Archer believes strongly in the rule of law and the democratic system, and is prepared to answer the Committee’s questions just as he has already answered similar questions from a federal grand jury, the Department of Justice, and several other government agencies in their investigations concerning the Biden family,” Matthew L. Schwartz, managing partner of Boies Schiller Flexner LLP, who is representing Mr. Archer, told The Epoch Times via email.
“There have been many leaks and much speculation about Mr. Archer’s potential statement to the Oversight Committee, but next week, Mr. Archer will get to speak for himself,” Mr. Schwartz added.
The testimony will take place behind closed doors, but Republicans have been releasing transcripts of similar interviews after they take place.
Biden Probe
Mr. Comer and other Republicans in the House have been probing the business dealings or Mr. Hunter Biden and the involvement of his father, who was vice president for many of the years in question.
A growing body of evidence links the president to his son’s dealings, including a WhatsApp message sent by his son to a Chinese businessman in 2017.
In the message, Mr. Hunter Biden told the businessman, “I am sitting here with my father, and we would like to understand why the commitment made has not been fulfilled.” That was followed by a warning not to attempt to bring in other parties.
“I will make certain that between the man sitting next to me and every person he knows and my ability to forever hold a grudge that you will regret not following my direction,” Mr. Hunter Biden wrote, according to IRS whistleblower Gary Shapley. “I am sitting here waiting for the call with my father.”
Mr. Shapley was part of a team probing Mr. Hunter Biden, who is slated to plead guilty this week to intentionally not paying taxes.
Mr. Joe Biden has denied being in the room when the message was sent.
In another document disclosed to the public, a confidential source told the FBI that the owner of Burisma, a Ukrainian company, indicated to him that he had paid bribes to both Mr. Hunter Biden and Mr. Joe Biden that resulted in the ouster of Viktor Shokin, a prosecutor who was investigating Burisma.
Mr. Hunter Biden and Mr. Archer were both on the board of the gas and oil company.
Mr. Joe Biden told reporters on the campaign trial in 2020, “I have never spoken to my son about his overseas business dealings.”
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said during a briefing on July 24 that “the president was never in business with his son.”
Mr. Comer said on Fox News that investigators have obtained evidence that the president was in communication with some of the business associates, or foreign nationals who sent money to the Biden family.
“Joe Biden was a lot more involved in Hunter’s shady business schemes than he has ever admitted,” Mr. Comer said.
After acquiring records such as bank documents, the House’s probe is now in the deposition phase.
“We need people like Devon Archer to come forward and tell us what they know,” Mr. Comer said. “We already have bank records, we have emails, we have text messages, we have phone records, we have testimony from other people. So we know a lot about what Joe Biden’s involvement was. We’re at the point to where we need people to come in under oath and go into more detail because I think all roads point to Joe Biden.”
Mr. Archer was sentenced to one year in prison in 2022 for defrauding a Native American tribe in a scheme that involved Mr. Archer and others using Mr. Hunter Biden’s name to convince the tribe to invest assets. While emails show Mr. Hunter Biden was involved with Mr. Archer’s firm, Mr. Hunter Biden was not charged and his lawyer has said the younger Biden was unaware of the scheme.
Impeachment Inquiry?
The House investigation has been a joint effort with the House Judiciary Committee and the House Ways and Means Committee.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) told Fox News’ Sean Hannity that the investigation is “rising to the level of impeachment inquiry.”
Former President Donald Trump was impeached twice, but was acquitted by the Senate both times. While Republicans hold a majority in the House, Democrats control the Senate at this time.
The House has also been seeking to talk to David Weiss, the U.S. attorney for the District of Delaware, and other Department of Justice officials involved in the investigation into Mr. Hunter Biden.
Mr. Weiss has agreed to appear in a public hearing to answer questions, the department said this week.
