By Charles Switzer
2:27am PDT, Mar 27, 2025
Trump Pardons Devon Archer, Citing Unfair Treatment
President
Donald Trump issued a full pardon Tuesday, March 25, to
Devon Archer, former business associate of Hunter Biden, calling his conviction unjust.
"I think he was treated very unfairly," Trump said at the White House. "And I looked at the record, studied the record, and he was a victim of a crime, as far as I'm concerned. So we're going to undo that."
Trump signed the pardon during an event with Archer and Louisiana Governor
Jeff Landry. "Congratulations, Devon!!" he exclaimed.
Archer later told the
New York Post, "I want to extend my deepest thanks to President Trump. I am grateful to the president for recognizing that I was the victim of a convoluted lawfare effort intended to destroy and silence me."
Here are four things to keep in mind about the president's newest pardon.
MORE:
Follow Wonderwall on MSN for more top news
Archer Thanks Trump, Attacks the Bidens
In his public statement, Devon Archer placed blame for his legal troubles on former President
Joe Biden's family. "Like so many people, my life was devastated by the Biden family's selfish disregard for the truth and for the peace of mind and happiness of others. The Bidens talk about justice, but they don't mean it."
He also acknowledged support from former Biden business associate
Tony Bobulinski and expressed gratitude to his wife for standing by him.
"I want to thank my wife from the bottom of my heart for keeping the family intact in these fragile years. I never wanted any of this brought upon my family, [but] I now have the opportunity to return my full focus to family, friends and professional life," he said.
Background on Archer's Conviction and Legal Battle
Devon Archer was convicted in 2018 for helping sell more than $60 million in fraudulent bonds connected to a South Dakota Native American tribe. The charges included conspiracy to commit securities fraud and securities fraud.
He was sentenced to a year in prison, ordered to forfeit $15.7 million and pay $43.4 million in restitution. Hunter Biden, who served as vice chairman at Burnham Financial during the scheme and earned up to $200,000, was not charged. Though a district judge initially overturned Archer's conviction, citing insufficient evidence, an appeals court later reinstated it, and the Supreme Court declined to overturn the ruling in 2023.
"He's getting a full pardon. He was s****** by the Bidens. They destroyed him like they tried to destroy a lot of people," Donald Trump told the New York Post after meeting Devon at the NCAA wrestling championships in Philadelphia.
Archer's Testimony in Biden Business Dealings
Devon Archer later became a key witness in the House GOP's investigation into Joe Biden's alleged ties to his family's business operations. He testified in 2023 that Joe had contact with Hunter Biden's business partners including "about 20 speaker-phone calls during business meetings."
He also described Joe meeting with Chinese businessman Jonathan Li during a 2013 Beijing trip and greeting him via phone during a later visit. Archer further said the former president attended two dinners in Washington, D.C., in 2014 and 2015 with Hunter's foreign associates.
Vadym Pozharskyi — an adviser to Burisma, the Ukrainian gas firm that paid Hunter up to $1 million annually — attended the 2015 dinner. Archer testified that Hunter briefly left a 2015 Dubai meeting with Burisma executives to "call D.C.," saying, "Listen, I did not hear this phone call, but he — he called his dad."
Russian Billionaire Links and Unanswered Questions
Devon Archer's testimony also involved Russian oligarch Yelena Baturina, who attended one of the D.C. dinners and wired $3.5 million to a company he co-owned with Hunter Biden in 2014.
"This is my land, I was given it by God," Baturina told Archer in a past exchange, also warning, "Next time it won't be nice."
Archer admitted not knowing the purpose of the large payment but confirmed Baturina invested over $100 million into his Rosemont Realty firm.
Emails from Hunter's laptop show he actively courted Baturina for business. In one message, Archer wrote Hunter saying he was "[with] Yelena," and in another, Hunter said, "we should ask Yelena to fund a short-term development team to scope projects."
Notably, Baturina and another associate, Vladimir Yevtushenko, were not sanctioned by the Joe Biden administration amid its crackdown on Russian oligarchs following the Ukraine invasion.
