Politics

Devon Archer Testimony Confirms Details From FBI Form That Contains Biden Bribery Allegations

House Oversight Committee Interviews Hunter Biden Business Associate

(Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

James Lynch Contributor
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Hunter Biden’s longtime business associate Devon Archer has confirmed details from the FBI’s FD-1023 form that contains allegations about a bribery scheme involving Joe Biden, Hunter Biden and a Ukrainian oligarch.

Archer testified to the House Oversight Committee on Monday about Hunter Biden’s foreign business dealings and Joe Biden’s interactions with his son’s business partners, including allegations in the FBI FD-1023 form, according to which Ukrainian oligarch Mykola Zlochevsky discussed bribes paid to the Bidens. (RELATED: Biden Family ‘Brand’ Made People ‘Intimidated To Mess With’ Burisma, Devon Archer Testified)

“Were you ever made aware of Mr. Zlochevsky paying $5 million to two different Bidens?” Archer was asked, according to a newly released transcript of his testimony.

“I would assume he’s probably talking about me and Hunter, but I don’t know. But I don’t know anything about those five,” Archer responded. Zlochevsky brought Archer and Hunter Biden onto Burisma’s board in 2014, with the company allegedly paying Hunter $80,000 a month.

Archer was also asked about whether he found the allegations in the FBI’s FD-1023 form credible.

“I think it’s — the agent explains it pretty well on the bottom. And it’s similar to, you know, Hunter Biden taking credit for his dad’s visit. It’s like sending a signal,” Archer said.

Archer testified that he was not aware of the $5 million bribes described in the FBI form and said the allegation was not evidence that Joe Biden was bribed. He did, however, agree with the form’s description of how oligarchs like Zlochevsky brag about making bribery payments and often exaggerate their size.

“Yep, correct. And in Ukraine, in Russia they brag about how much — they brag about bigger bribes than they actually give,” Archer said. (RELATED: Hunter Biden Warned Devon Archer About Potential FARA Violations Right Before Taking Burisma Board Seat, Emails Show)

Archer also confirmed Burisma’s plans to expand into the U.S. by getting into business with an American firm. The Confidential Human Source (CHS) behind the FD-1023 form said he first met with Burisma executives to discuss the expansion in late 2015 or early 2016.

“So what I brought — the initial — the initial engagement, it was really about — around me raising additional, you know, outside capital, possibly debt capital expansion capital, from, you know, European, Western, Singapore, U.S. markets, for them to — I think the initial idea was expansion into the U.S. by a small U.S. company,” Archer testified.

The unnamed CHS was introduced to Zlochevsky by Ukrainian official Oleksandr Ostapenko in a 2016 meeting with Burisma executives in Vienna, Austria, according to the FD-1023 form. The source initially met with Ostapenko in Kyiv, Ukraine, in late 2015 or early 2016 to assist Burisma in  its attempt to expand into the U.S. and launch an Initial Public Offering (IPO), the form asserts.

The CHS was made aware of Hunter Biden’s Burisma board seat at the initial meeting, where he was allegedly told Hunter Biden was hired to “protect us, through his dad, from all kinds of problems,” an assertion Archer echoed when he testified that the Biden family “brand” made people “intimidated to mess with” Burisma.

In Austria, Zlochevsky and the source were discussing Burisma’s expansion plans when Zlochevsky said “it costs 5 (million) to pay one Biden, and 5 (million) to another Biden,” according to the FBI document.

Zlochevsky told the source during a phone call after the 2016 presidential election that he was “pushed to pay” the Bidens and claimed to have “17 recordings” involving the Bidens, with two featuring Joe Biden, the form states. (RELATED: ‘Pushed To Pay’: Ukrainian Oligarch Who Allegedly Bribed The Bidens Was ‘Forced’ Into Sending Money, FBI Form Says)

The CHS did not interact with Zlochevsky again until Ostapenko called the Ukrainian in the middle of a business meeting with the CHS in London, per the FBI form. Zlochevsky told the source that he concealed his alleged payments to the Bidens and that it would take investigators 10 years to find the records, the form indicates.

“Zlochevsky responded he did not send any funds directly to the ‘Big Guy’ (which CHS understood was a reference to Joe Biden). CHS asked Zlochevsky how many companies/bank accounts Zlochevsky controls; Zlochevsky responded it would take them (investigators) 10 years to find the records (i.e. illicit payments to Joe Biden),” the form reads.

The CHS said it was common for post-Soviet oligarchs to show off and that bribing government officials was typical for Russian and Ukrainian businesses.

“CHS explained it is very common for business men in post-Soviet countries to brag or show-off. Additionally, it is extremely common for businesses in Russia and Ukraine to make ‘bribe’ payments to various government officials,” the form says.

“As such, given the pervasive necessity to bribe government officials in Ukraine and Russia, CHS did not perceive Pojarskii’s or Zlochevsky’s statements to be unusual, self-serving, or pretextual. Additionally, regarding Important business meetings, it is also common in Ukraine and Russia for persons to make covert recordings,” the form adds.

Archer informed House Oversight of over 20 instances in which Joe Biden participated in meetings with his son’s business associates, Oversight Chair James Comer said in a statement. Archer specifically mentioned a spring 2014 dinner Joe Biden had with a Russian oligarch and a 2015 dinner then-VP Biden attended with Pozharskyi and other guests.