President Donald Trump issued a pardon to Devon Archer, a former business associate of Hunter Biden, citing claims of unfair treatment. Archer was previously convicted in a fraud case involving over $60 million in bonds aimed at defrauding a Native American tribe.
USA Today reported that Trump's pardon of Archer came after allegations of biased legal treatment due to Archer's role in a congressional investigation.
The situation began when Archer was embroiled in a scheme that led to significant financial losses for investors, particularly affecting the Wakpamni Lake Community Corp.
This fraudulent plan involved selling worthless bonds, misleading investors about their validity, and subsequently misusing the funds raised from these sales.
In connection with this elaborate fraud, Archer was initially sentenced to one year and a day in prison. Additionally, he was mandated to forfeit $15.7 million and make restitution amounting to $43.4 million, reflecting the magnitude of the financial misappropriation involved.
Despite Archer's attempts to overturn his conviction, with an appeal that reached as high as the Supreme Court in January 2024, all of his appeals were ultimately rejected. This left Archer with few avenues for relief until the presidential pardon intervened.
During Archer's testimony before the House Oversight and Accountability Committee in July 2023, he detailed his and Hunter Biden's activities during Joe Biden's vice presidency. Archer claimed that while his discussions with Joe Biden were mundane, they were used to subtly illustrate an illusion of influence and access to power.
Upon signing the Executive Grant of Clemency at the White House on March 25, 2025, Trump underscored his belief that Archer had been treated unjustly.
“They think he was treated very unfairly,” Trump said, concerning the advice from his aides. “He was a victim of a crime, as far as I’m concerned. So we’re going to undo that.”
This pardon had ignited debates considering Archer's testimony was part of a larger investigation into Joe and Hunter Biden's potential misuse of power for personal gain—a key political contention between parties. “Congratulations, Devon,” Trump announced, thus concluding the official pardon ceremony, as he publicly displayed the signed paperwork.
Jason Galanis, acknowledged as the chief orchestrator of the fraudulent bond scheme, had already pleaded guilty, labeling himself a serial fraudster. This acknowledgment further complicated the narrative surrounding Archer's involvement and guilt.
Throughout the unfolding events, both Joe and Hunter Biden have continuously denied any wrongdoing related to benefiting from presidential power during Joe Biden's tenure.
The legality and ethics of Hunter Biden's business engagements have been a central theme of numerous investigations, which so far have not established any direct misuse of Joe Biden's political position for personal gain.
As part of a separate legal outcome, Hunter Biden was charged with tax and gun crimes, but these charges were not linked to his father's political influence or authority.
Furthermore, these charges were subsequently pardoned by the president prior to his leaving office, marking another chapter in the ongoing narrative of legal scrutiny and presidential interventions in high-profile cases.