Politics

Democratic Rep. Goldman Doubles Down On False Talking Point From Devon Archer Testimony

Democratic New York Rep. Daniel Goldman got tongue tied on Monday after a reporter called out a glaring contradiction with President Joe Biden's claims.  [Screenshot Newsmax]

[Screenshot Newsmax]

James Lynch Contributor
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Democratic New York Rep. Dan Goldman is doubling down on misleading talking points about former Hunter Biden business associate Devon Archer’s congressional testimony, the hearing transcript shows.

Goldman continues to claim Devon Archer told the House Oversight Committee that Hunter Biden sold the “illusion” of access to his father, even though Archer told Goldman during his testimony July 31 that he was underselling Joe Biden’s involvement.

“So is it fair to say that Hunter Biden was selling the illusion of access to his father?” Goldman asked Archer, according to the transcript. (RELATED: Joe Biden Attended Dinner With Burisma Executive In DC, Devon Archer Testified)

“Yes,” he answered.

“So when you talk about selling the brand—” Goldman continued.

“Uh-huh.”

“— it’s not about selling access to his father. It’s about selling the illusion of access to his father. Is that fair?” Goldman said.

“Is that fair? I mean, yeah, that is – I think that’s — that’s almost fair,” Archer said.

“Almost fair. Why almost fair?” the representative asked, according to the transcript.

“Because there — there is — there are touch points and contact points that I can’t deny that happened, but nothing of material was discussed. But I can’t go on record saying that there was — there was communications,” Archer said.

Goldman continued to push Archer on the “illusion” question later in the latter’s testimony.

“And we talked earlier about, kind of, Hunter Biden liking to project this image, this illusion, of access to his father,” Goldman said, the transcript shows.

“Uh-huh,” Archer said.

“Was this just part of his effort to say, ‘Hey, I’m Joe Biden’s son, and I talk to Joe Biden a lot?'” Goldman followed up.

“Right,” Archer replied, according to the transcript. “I don’t want to speculate about what he was thinking. But I think it’s just, you know, just common sense and, you know, that it’s the brand and that’s the value and — yeah. I don’t—”

Goldman asked similar questions about the “illusion” to access and Archer answered affirmatively, the transcript shows. Towards the end of his testimony, Archer elaborated to Goldman about what the “illusion” meant.

“So it was — it was — like I said from the beginning, there was never — they didn’t — it’s just like when, you know, Jamie Dimon comes in to talk about an IPO,” Archer said. “You know, he doesn’t know what the pricing’s going to be or when the date’s going to be. It’s just a — it’s a conversation, and that was never part of it. But the actual, tangible assets of the portfolio were, you know, lobbying and a career in D.C.”

Goldman referred to the transcript Monday on Twitter in response to a Fox News story about Goldman’s “illusion” talking point.

“Self-appointed Biden defender [Rep. Dan Goldman] came to the Devon Archer interview with an agenda,” the House Oversight Committee tweeted with a link to Fox’s article. “Unfortunately for Rep. Goldman, the interview didn’t quite go the way he tried to push it.” (RELATED: ‘He Was A Threat’: Devon Archer Says Ukrainian Prosecutor Joe Biden Got Fired Was GoinG After Burisma’s Business)

“#Read the transcript,” Goldman responded to the Oversight Committee’s tweet.

Immediately after Archer’s testimony July 31, Goldman gave a press conference where he insisted Joe Biden only spoke about “the weather” with his son’s business partners. Goldman told Politico that Archer said Hunter Biden was “selling the illusion of access to his father” and downplayed Hunter’s foreign business dealings.

Archer testified that Joe Biden spoke with Hunter Biden’s foreign business associates “more than 20 times.” Archer described how the Biden family “brand” protected Ukrainian energy firm Burisma and allowed the firm to stay in business after Burisma appointed Archer and Hunter Biden to its board in 2014.

Archer confirmed Joe Biden attended a dinner with his son and Burisma executive Vadim Pozharskyi in 2015, a year after Joe and Hunter Biden dined with Russian oligarch Elena Baturina at a Washington, D.C., café.