Devon Archer on Hunter Biden, Burisma, and the Fallout with the Bidens

Early Business Ventures and Hunter Biden Partnership

• 💡 Devon Archer, a Yale graduate and former business partner of Chris Hines (grandson of the Ketchup magnate), details the founding of Rosemont Capital.
• 🤝 Archer recounts how he was reintroduced to Hunter Biden in late 2008/early 2009, as Biden transitioned from lobbying due to his father's impending VP role.
• 📈 Archer believed partnering with Hunter Biden would expand their network for raising capital, particularly access to institutional investors like pensions.
• 🧠 While acknowledging Hunter Biden's knowledge of DC insider strategies and regulatory navigation, Archer notes his skills were primarily in that specific area.

Rosemont Realty and International Capital

• 🌍 Rosemont Realty, a successful real estate venture, acquired a significant portfolio and managed 200 employees, operating across 23 states.
• 💰 The firm sought capital globally, including from Eastern Europe and Asia, pitching stability and US dollar-denominated assets.
• 🤝 Tri Global, a placement agent that also worked with Rudy Giuliani's fund, selected Rosemont for investment, partly due to the perceived political halo effect of having figures like Hunter Biden on their advisory board.
• ✈️ Archer's pitch to Mykola Zlochevsky, owner of Burisma, occurred in Moscow in March 2014, shortly after the annexation of Crimea, leading to the collapse of a major deal.

Joining Burisma and the "Biden Brand"

• 🇺🇦 Archer was invited to join the board of Burisma, a Ukrainian energy company, following discussions facilitated by Tri Global and a meeting with Zlochevsky.
• 🤝 The invitation was extended by former Polish President Aleksander Kwaśniewski, who had also joined Burisma's board.
• 💼 Archer hired Boyar, Schiller, and Nardello to conduct due diligence, partly because Hunter Biden was of counsel at Boyar, Schiller, and Nardello.
• 📸 A photo of Archer with Vice President Joe Biden in the White House, posted by Burisma, created a significant media scandal, highlighting the optics of Hunter Biden's board membership.

Shokin Investigation and Political Pressure

• ⚠️ Burisma faced an investigation by Ukrainian Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin, which the company viewed as problematic.
• 🗣️ Archer believes Burisma internally desired Shokin's removal, despite public statements to the contrary, to neutralize the investigation.
• 🏛️ Archer suggests Joe Biden's push for Shokin's dismissal, aligning with pressure from democracy activists and think tanks like the Atlantic Council, was a strategic move to benefit Burisma and the Biden family's interests.
• 💰 Archer asserts that Hunter Biden's role was to sell the "Biden brand," leveraging his father's position, and that Joe Biden participated in business meetings by taking calls and signaling support.

Legal Troubles and Personal Fallout

• ⚖️ Archer faced legal challenges stemming from a bond issuance deal in 2014, where he transitioned from witness to target.
• 🗣️ Hunter Biden allegedly advised Archer to cooperate, assuring him that his connection to the Biden family would ensure a favorable outcome.
• 🏛️ Archer describes his legal battle as a decade-long ordeal, with a trial judge expressing grave doubts about his guilt, yet ultimately facing conviction on appeal.
• 😔 Archer expresses deep regret for ever going into business with Hunter Biden, viewing it as a "colossal train wreck" and a significant miscalculation, attributing much of the fallout to addiction and ethically questionable business practices.

The "10% for the Big Guy" Revelation

• 🇨🇳 Archer details the "10% for the Big Guy" arrangement in a Chinese business deal (Bohigh Harvest Rosemont), where Hunter Biden allegedly reserved equity for his father, Joe Biden.
• 🤝 Archer states there is "zero ambiguity" that this referred to Joe Biden, suggesting it was a direct financial benefit, though he acknowledges it might not be legally provable.
• 🗣️ He posits that Hunter Biden was looser with his language regarding this arrangement because Joe Biden was out of office at the time, and his addiction may have contributed to recklessness.