Hunter Biden Associate Has Appeal Dismissed by SCOTUS

Facts

• Devon Archer, a former business partner of Hunter Biden, had an appeal challenging his conviction of defrauding a Native American tribe declined by the US Supreme Court (SCOTUS) on Monday, increasing the likelihood that he will serve time in prison.¹
• Archer was convicted in 2018 for involvement in a scheme to defraud the corporate arm of the South Dakota-based Wakpamni Lake Community of the Oglala Sioux tribe. Led by businessman Jason Galanis, who pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 14 years in prison, the scheme involved misappropriating millions of dollars that the corporation raised by issuing bonds.¹
• More than $60M in tribal bonds were fraudulently sold in the scheme. New York’s 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals denied Archer’s appeal of his sentence last year after SCOTUS rejected his initial appeal in 2021, and Archer raised a second appeal to SCOTUS after he claimed that a district court erred in calculating the sentence range.²
• The justices did not comment on their decision to not listen to the appeal. Archer rose to prominence after becoming a key witness in the House of Representatives' probe into Pres. Joe Biden’s involvement in his son’s foreign business dealings. Archer and Hunter both served on the board of Ukrainian gas company Burisma.³
• Archer testified before the GOP-led House Oversight Committee last July, saying that the Biden family brand shielded Burisma. While Joe Biden was vice president, Hunter and Archer each made $80K per month at Burisma, but they had their salaries greatly reduced after Joe Biden left the vice presidency.⁴
• In addition to his prison sentence, Archer was ordered to forfeit $15.7M and pay $43.4M in restitution. Hunter Biden is not involved in the bond issuance fraud, but Archer used his connection to the Bidens to bolster his credentials.²

Sources: ¹NBC, ²USA Today, ³US News & World Report and ⁴Daily Caller.

Narratives

• Republican narrative, as provided by Daily Mail. Birds of a feather flock together, and Hunter Biden's close associates continue to come under fire for their criminal acts. Just like Hunter Biden and his father, Devon Archer has been involved in shady financial schemes that defraud others to enrich themselves. However, Archer is only involved in a scheme that defrauded one Native American tribe; meanwhile, the Bidens have defrauded the entire country.
• Democratic narrative, as provided by The Hill. The American justice system is dealing with Devon Archer for alleged crimes, and he will have to pay for his involvement in the bond fraud scheme. This case has nothing to do with Hunter Biden, and it certainly has no relation to Pres. Biden. Archer may have been an associate of Hunter Biden and a key witness for the GOP, but the Biden family is not responsible for all of Archer's actions.

Predictions