Trump grants pardon to former Hunter Biden associate and key informant Devon Archer
President Trump showed mercy to Devon Archer, a former business associate of Hunter Biden who became a key Republican informant in the Biden family corruption investigation.
According to The New York Post, Trump signed a presidential pardon on Tuesday for Archer, who was previously convicted of defrauding a Native American tribe, stating the businessman was "treated very unfairly."
The pardon comes after Archer provided significant testimony to House Republicans investigating President Joe Biden's involvement in his family's foreign business dealings.
His revelations about Joe Biden's interactions with his son's business partners, including approximately 20 speaker-phone calls during meetings, fueled an impeachment inquiry into alleged corruption.
Key Testimony Against Biden Family Operations
Trump made the announcement during a White House ceremony where he expressed strong support for Archer. During his congressional testimony in 2023, Archer revealed detailed accounts of Joe Biden's involvement with Hunter's business associates.
These interactions included meetings with Chinese government-linked businessman Jonathan Li in Beijing and dinners at Washington DC's Cafe Milano with Eastern European and Central Asian business figures.
President Trump shared his perspective on the pardon decision, stating:
I think he was treated very unfairly. And I looked at the record, studied the record, and he was a victim of a crime, as far as I'm concerned. So we're going to undo that.
Archer's conviction stemmed from his involvement in selling over $60 million in fraudulent bonds for an Oglala Sioux entity in South Dakota. The case resulted in a one-year prison sentence, along with substantial financial penalties, including $15.7 million in forfeiture and $43.4 million in restitution.
Complex Legal Journey Before Presidential Pardon
The path to Archer's pardon involved numerous legal twists and turns. Initially convicted alongside two other Burnham Financial Group executives for conspiracy to commit securities fraud, Archer's case saw an unusual development when Manhattan US District Judge Ronnie Abrams overturned his conviction in November 2018, while maintaining the guilty verdicts for his co-defendants.
Appeals judges later reinstated the conviction, and the Supreme Court upheld it last year. Throughout this period, Hunter Biden, who served as vice chairman of Burnham and earned up to $200,000, faced no charges in connection with the case.
The legal proceedings coincided with Archer's decision to cooperate with congressional investigators. His testimony provided crucial insights into the Biden family's international business dealings and their intersection with Joe Biden's vice presidential duties.
International Business Connections Exposed
Archer's revelations included details about multiple meetings involving Joe Biden and foreign business figures.
He testified about a December 2013 Beijing meeting between then-Vice President Biden and Jonathan Li, which occurred shortly before Hunter Biden established the state-backed investment fund BHR Partners with Li as CEO.
Significant information emerged regarding two previously disputed dinners at Cafe Milano in 2014 and 2015.
These gatherings included various international business figures, including Vadym Pozharskyi from Burisma Holdings and Yelena Baturina, the former first lady of Moscow, who had transferred $3.5 million to a company controlled by Hunter Biden and Archer.
What The Future Holds
Devon Archer, a father of three, expressed profound gratitude to Trump and his family for their support. He is currently writing a book to be published by Post Hill, the same publisher that released "Laptop From Hell" by Miranda Devine, which documented emails showing Joe Biden's involvement in various international business relationships during his vice presidency.
The presidential pardon marks a significant turn in Archer's complex journey from Hunter Biden's business partner to key congressional informant.
His testimony and subsequent pardon highlight the ongoing scrutiny of the Biden family's international business dealings and their potential impact on American politics.