Devon Archer, the former business partner of Hunter Biden and fellow Burisma board member, reportedly met with then-Secretary of State John Kerry just weeks before the controversial firing of Ukrainian Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin in 2016. The meeting has fueled speculation about potential connections between Burisma and high-ranking U.S. officials at the time.
According to a State Department email, Archer’s visit to the State Department took place on March 2, 2016, with the email referring to Kerry as “S,” which has been confirmed in multiple other email communications. However, the content of the meeting and whether the topic of Burisma was discussed remain unclear.
Archer and Hunter Biden were both serving on the board of Burisma for about two years when the meeting occurred. Notably, then-Vice President Joe Biden had recently visited Ukraine, where he reportedly pressured Ukrainian officials to remove Prosecutor General Shokin, who was accused of being lenient on corruption cases.
The firing of Shokin on March 29, 2016, less than four weeks after Archer’s meeting with Kerry, has led to concerns about potential conflicts of interest and political influence in the handling of Ukrainian affairs.
The email that originally revealed the meeting sparked inquiries from lawmakers, including Senators Chuck Grassley and Ron Johnson, who expressed their concerns about the meeting’s timing and implications. They requested records from the meeting as well as from other significant meetings involving the Biden family, such as Hunter Biden’s 2015 meeting with Antony Blinken, who was then the Deputy Secretary of State.
Hunter Biden, left, and Mykola Zlochevsky (Getty Images / File)
During an interview with Fox News’ Brian Kilmeade, Viktor Shokin claimed that he was fired from his position at Biden’s insistence due to his investigation into Burisma. He alleged that both Biden and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko knew that his continued oversight of the Burisma investigation could reveal corrupt activities involving Hunter Biden, Devon Archer, and others associated with the company.
The White House, however, disputed Shokin’s claims, stating that he was fired for being too lenient on corruption, rather than for investigating Burisma. The White House pointed to reports from reputable sources such as the Washington Post, Associated Press, and New York Times that indicated Shokin’s office was not actively investigating Burisma or Hunter Biden at the time of his ouster.
Archer, who was also a close associate of John Kerry and served as an adviser during Kerry’s 2004 presidential campaign, has faced questions about his role in the dealings surrounding Burisma. Archer testified that under pressure from Shokin’s office and other entities investigating Burisma, the company sought Hunter Biden’s assistance. He claimed that Hunter Biden and Burisma executives reached out to the Obama administration to advocate for Shokin’s dismissal.
The interconnected web of meetings, interactions, and alleged lobbying efforts involving Burisma, U.S. officials, and key figures like Devon Archer continues to raise questions about the extent of political influence and personal interests at play during a critical period of Ukrainian political upheaval. As investigations and discussions unfold, the public and policymakers seek a clearer understanding of the complex dynamics that may have impacted both U.S.-Ukraine relations and domestic politics.
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