In the lead-up to the 2020 election, Devon Archer stood at a critical crossroads, contemplating a public break from the Bidens after years of silence.
He engaged in phone conversations with a prominent ally of President Trump, during which the ally hinted that the Trump administration might help alleviate any fraud allegations against Mr. Archer if he publicly disclosed information about his long-time business associate Hunter Biden, the son of Joseph R. Biden Jr. This information comes from three individuals familiar with these private conversations, who requested anonymity.
Doubting the reliability of the offer, Mr. Archer opted to remain silent. He confided to acquaintances that he hoped a pardon would be granted if the elder Mr. Biden won the presidency.
However, following Mr. Biden’s inauguration, Mr. Archer found himself largely excluded by the family, as reported by three Biden associates who were not authorized to speak about the matter publicly.
Over the following months and years, as Mr. Archer maintained his innocence amid ongoing legal challenges, he discreetly began to align himself with Mr. Trump and his supporters. He cooperated in investigations scrutinizing the substantial profits Hunter Biden garnered from foreign enterprises and how these dealings coincided with his father’s vice presidential duties. He shared information with prosecutors, reporters, and Republican congressional investigators.
On Tuesday afternoon, Mr. Archer’s journey from Biden insider to Trump supporter reached a conclusion. Mr. Trump signed a full and unconditional pardon for Mr. Archer, revoking his conviction related to a scheme that defrauded investors and a Native American tribal entity of tens of millions of dollars.
Expressing gratitude and allegiance to Mr. Trump during a phone interview, Mr. Archer stated, “I’m full MAGA now. They’re more my people.”
His experience highlights Mr. Trump’s strategic use of clemency as a political tool and demonstrates how this tactic is being employed by his circle. It also reflects the increasingly ambiguous intersection of politics and criminal justice, where partisans advocate for the prosecution of their political opponents while lamenting similar actions against their allies.
For Mr. Trump, pardoning Mr. Archer fulfilled several objectives that characterize his assertive approach to clemency. It targeted a rival (the Bidens), rewarded a supporter (Mr. Archer), and underscored his grievances regarding what he perceives as the political misuse of the justice system.
For the tribal entity that was defrauded — as well as for the prosecutors behind the case — it was a significant setback.
For Mr. Archer and his family, including his wife and their three teenage children, this news brought immense relief. The pardon spared him from serving any portion of his one-year and one-day prison sentence and released him from the obligation to pay approximately $60 million in forfeitures and restitution.
His path to redemption led him directly to Mr. Trump, bypassing the Justice Department’s system designed to identify and evaluate suitable pardon candidates. This system typically relies on non-partisan criteria, which usually stipulate that offenders must have completed their sentences and demonstrated good behavior post-incarceration.
At the beginning of Mr. Trump’s presidency, over 1,600 pardon requests were pending with the Justice Department.
Mr. Archer has expressed to his associates an interest in taking a role within Mr. Trump’s administration or working for his political operations in the future. Meanwhile, he plans to focus on writing a book and producing a documentary about his experiences, in addition to a project related to cryptocurrency.
A future of this nature would have been difficult to foresee when Mr. Archer first collaborated with Hunter Biden in 2009.
Having previously modeled for Ralph Lauren and played lacrosse at Yale, Mr. Archer was a rising fundraiser for John Kerry’s presidential campaign back in 2004. He was introduced to Hunter Biden through Christopher Heinz, stepson of Mr. Kerry.
With a solid background in international finance, Mr. Archer facilitated introductions to foreign businesses attracted by Hunter Biden’s political connections.
In 2014, Mr. Archer and Mr. Biden became board members of the Ukrainian energy firm Burisma Holdings, a situation that some Obama administration officials deemed a conflict of interest for the Bidens, given that the elder Mr. Biden’s vice presidential responsibilities included encouraging Ukrainian leaders to eradicate corruption within their government and energy sectors.
After being charged in 2016 for a securities fraud scheme, Mr. Archer distanced himself from the board and began to cut ties with Hunter Biden. This scheme involved a financial company where Mr. Archer held the position of chairman and Mr. Biden served as vice chairman, as documented in trial records.
Hunter Biden was not implicated in this case, and his legal team has stated that he had no involvement.
Despite claiming he was misled by a partner described by the district court judge as “the admitted mastermind of the conspiracy and a serial fraudster,” Mr. Archer was convicted by a jury in 2018. Later that same year, the judge overturned the verdict and ordered a new trial, expressing concerns that Mr. Archer lacked the necessary intent for the crimes charged.
While awaiting trial, he sent a text to Hunter Biden expressing despair, which was later included in a cache of files from a laptop that Mr. Biden left at a Delaware repair shop.
“Why did your dad’s administration appointees arrest me and try to put me in jail?” Mr. Archer lamented in a March 2019 message, as the elder Mr. Biden was gearing up for his presidential campaign. “Why would they attempt to ruin my family and destroy my children, while no one from your family stepped in to help? I don’t understand it, and I’m feeling depressed.”
Hunter Biden replied in an academic tone, stating that his father had no influence over the Justice Department while serving as vice president and noted that, “it’s unfair at times, but ultimately the justice system usually prevails, and, like you, we find redemption and the truth shines through.”
Two associates of the Biden family indicated that there was never any serious dialogue about the possibility of the elder Mr. Biden granting a pardon to Mr. Archer, should he be elected.
Hunter Biden did not respond to a request for comment, nor did a spokesperson for former President Biden.
Approximately one month prior to the 2020 election, an appeals court overturned the district court’s decision in Mr. Archer’s case, reinstating the original jury verdict. Following this, Mr. Archer had his first phone call with the Trump ally.
In the weeks after President Biden’s inauguration, Mr. Archer took part in an extensive interview with prosecutors investigating Hunter Biden’s tax situation and international business dealings.
In 2023, Mr. Archer’s association with the Bidens drew political attention when he appeared in a Republican-led congressional inquiry examining Hunter Biden’s business and its connections to his father’s public service.
Mr. Archer’s testimony was notably composed. He stated that he had no knowledge of any misconduct by the elder Mr. Biden while describing how Hunter Biden and his foreign business associates utilized the Biden family’s “brand” to bolster their interests.
Although the investigation did not culminate in the impeachment of President Biden, as some Republicans had anticipated, it did garner Mr. Archer additional support among pro-Trump factions.
Shortly thereafter, he elaborated on the ways the Bidens exploited “soft power” in a lengthy interview with Tucker Carlson, a Trump-aligned commentator with whom Mr. Archer established a friendship.
Moreover, he formed a connection with Tony Bobulinski, another sidelined former Biden business associate, and joined him at the Republican National Convention and events related to Mr. Trump’s 2024 campaign. Mr. Archer and one of his sons even took a photo with Mr. Trump backstage at a campaign rally.
Following Mr. Trump’s victory, Mr. Archer began consulting with an attorney connected to the forthcoming president, who assisted in outlining a strategy for securing a pardon. He created a request that resonated with Mr. Trump’s sentiments, which was then passed on to Mr. Trump’s team.
The pardon application featured images of Mr. Archer alongside various Trump influencers and included damaging news articles about the Bidens that were based on his disclosures. It also detailed several “key character witnesses” familiar to the president, such as Mr. Carlson, former Florida representative Matt Gaetz, and Marla Maples, Mr. Trump’s second spouse.
The application noted that Mr. Archer’s uncle had managed Ms. Maples in the early ’90s, providing an opportunity for Mr. Archer to briefly meet Mr. Trump during his teenage years.
The application opened with a letter to Mr. Trump in which Mr. Archer expressed remorse for not thoroughly vetting the business partners involved in the fraudulent scheme, but also presented himself as “a victim of financial fraud.” He went on to share the emotional impact of the court case and the ramifications of discussing the Bidens, concluding with a quote from Mr. Trump’s words following an assassination attempt during a campaign rally in rural Pennsylvania: “Fight! Fight! Fight!”
Last week, while present at a college wrestling championship in Philadelphia, Mr. Trump reportedly called Mr. Archer over from across the arena, promising the pardon and informing The New York Post later that Mr. Archer “was screwed by the Bidens.”
Days later, as he signed the pardon in the White House, Mr. Trump reiterated Mr. Archer’s application, stating to the cameras gathered, “I reviewed the record and concluded he was a victim of a crime, in my opinion. So we’re going to rectify that.”
