NEW YORK POST
Vice President Joe Biden told his son Hunter’s former business associate Devon Archer in early 2011 that he was “happy” the two were partners — in a postscript to a note thanking Archer for attending a lunch with visiting Chinese President Hu Jintao.
“I apologize for not getting a chance to talk to you at the luncheon yesterday. I was having trouble getting away from hosting President Hu,” Biden told Archer in the letter dated Jan. 20, 2011.
“I hope I get a chance to see you again soon with Hunter. I hope you enjoyed lunch. Thanks for coming,” the missive concluded.
Biden, who maintains he has never discussed business with his son, attached a handwritten note to the letter: “P.S. Happy you guys are together,” an apparent reference to their Rosemont Seneca Partners investment firm.
Archer shared the letter with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson as part of an interview published Wednesday and The Post also acquired a copy of the note.
“What was he thanking you for?” Carlson asked Archer, who on Monday answered questions behind closed doors before the House Oversight Committee about his work with Hunter Biden to court wealthy figures in China, Russia and Ukraine while Joe Biden was vice president.
“First of all, it’s a lovely letter,” Archer answered. “Listen, it was kind of the beginning of our partnership and he was thanking me and thanking Hunter, I think, at the end of the day for bringing this idea of this government-regulatory-strategic-advisory business into the private equity world. And I think he was excited for the prospects for Hunter and he was just thanking [me], and I think it was a nice gesture.”
“It was a nice gesture for sure. Very polite. It gets a 10 on the etiquette scale,” Carlson agreed, adding: “But he’s vice president of the United States and he’s talking about foreign business deals with you and thanking you for that.”
“I think I — at the time, I think I hit the jackpot in finding the regulatory environment or company that can navigate right to the top,” Archer reflected. “But, you know, obviously, as time has told, being a little bit too close to the sun ends up burning you.”
“These are not business guys,” Carlson pressed. “This is the vice president of the United States. He’s not allowed to be working on businesses with foreign governments while he’s vice president, I don’t think.”
“Not that I know of,” Archer deadpanned.
“But here he is!” a near-hysterical Carlson exclaimed, to which Archer answered: “Right.”
Hunter and Archer were crafting plans for international ventures ahead of the 2011 lunch with the Chinese president and Hunter specifically recommended that his new partner be on the guest list, according to emails released in May by the National Archives in response to transparency litigation.
In a Nov. 18, 2010, email to another associate, Eric Schwerin, Hunter recommended that an invite be extended to Archer — after Schwerin said vice presidential office aide Michele Smith “called and said they would like some suggested names for the lunch. They have 30 spots for the VP’s personal list.”
Less than a week later, Archer emailed Hunter a list of “sovereign targets.”
