A witness in a Republican-led congressional probe said on Monday that Hunter Biden sought to create an “illusion of access” to his father Joe Biden while doing business in Ukraine but that the then-vice president played no role in any deals, according to a Democratic lawmaker.
Former Hunter Biden associate Devon Archer appeared for a closed-door interview led by staff from the U.S. House of Representatives Oversight Committee, which Republican lawmakers hoped would shed light on unproven allegations that Biden was directly involved in his son’s business dealings in Ukraine.
Democratic Representative Dan Goldman, who attended the interview, told reporters Archer provided no evidence of wrongdoing by the elder Biden.
The interview focused on the 2010s, when Hunter Biden sat on the board of the Ukraine energy company Burisma and his father was vice president under President Barack Obama.
“He had to give the illusion of access to his father and he tried to get credit for things that Mr. Archer testified Hunter had nothing to do with,” Goldman said.
Republicans allege that the elder Biden played a conscious role in his son’s business dealings and profited from transactions. The White House has said Joe Biden was never in business with his son.
“The witness stated unequivocally that there is no evidence in his possession or his knowledge that Joe Biden ever discussed business with Hunter Biden, Joe Biden ever did anything on behalf of Hunter Biden’s business interests,” Goldman said.
But Republican Representative Andy Biggs, who has co-sponsored legislation to impeach Biden, said Archer’s testimony implicated the president and quoted the witness as saying Burisma could not have survived without the “Biden brand.”
“Archer talked about the ‘big guy’ and how Hunter Biden always said, ‘We need to talk to my guy,'” Biggs told reporters. “I think we should do an impeachment inquiry.”
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