(Ken Silva, Headline USA) Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., has been taking heat this week for downplaying then-Vice President Joe Biden’s discussions with Hunter Biden’s business associates as mere small talk that was unrelated to business.
That’s not the only dubious claim made by Goldman. According to an interview transcript of Hunter’s business partner, Devon Archer, published Friday by House Oversight Committee, Goldman has argued that Hunter joined the Ukrainian energy firm Burisma Holdings for “idealistic” reasons.
During his questioning of Archer, Goldman argued that Hunter joined Burisma to help Ukraine achieve energy independence from Russia.
“[Former Burisma board member and former Polish President Aleksander] Kwasniewski felt that Burisma had a role to play in helping as a bulwark against Russia, which was being aggressive toward Ukraine at the time. Is it fair to say that Hunter Biden kind of shared that thought?” Goldman asked Archer.
“Is it fair to say that there was kind of an idealistic fiber to Hunter Biden’s interest in Burisma, in part?”
Archer responded that he agreed Hunter was motivated “in part” to help Ukraine against Russia.
Goldman didn’t question Archer about another, more likely, motivating factor for Hunter to work with Burisma: The company was paying him $1 million a year from 2014 to 2017, around the time he had an out-of-control cocaine habit.
Regardless of Hunter’s motivations for joining Burisma, Archer made it clear in his interview that the President’s son had one main product to offer the company: his father’s influence. Archer told Goldman he thought Burisma would have gone bankrupt without the Biden “brand” being attached to the firm.
“My only thought is that I think Burisma would have gone out of business if it didn’t have the brand attached to it. That’s my, like, only honest opinion,” Archer said.
Goldman tried to push back against this claim, asking Archer how the Biden name would help a Ukrainian energy company.
“Because people would be intimidated to mess with them,” Archer answered.
“In what way?” Goldman asked further.
“Legally,” Archer said.
Archer was convicted in 2018 on fraud charges, and is expected to serve a one-year sentence.
When it was reported last week that Archer was set to testify to Congress, the Justice Department reportedly tried to have him report to jail immediately. But after backlash from GOP lawmakers, the DOJ said Archer can report to jail after his testimony.
Ken Silva is a staff writer at Headline USA. Follow him at twitter.com/jd_cashless.
