Written by David Zimmermann

What happened: Hunter Biden’s former business partner Devon Archer testified Monday that Hunter put his father on speakerphone at least 20 times over 10 years when chatting with foreign business associates. Archer said those conversations were “casual” and did not include business talk. After the private hearing between Archer and lawmakers, Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.) told reporters the content of the phone calls involved “niceties” and “the weather.”

New revelations: Behind closed doors, Archer said Hunter Biden included his father in conversations with Burisma — the Ukrainian gas company both Archer and Hunter worked for — to sell “the illusion of access to his father.” When asked about Hunter’s dealings with Burisma in particular, Archer testified that the company would have gone under sooner if the “Biden brand” wasn’t involved in landing deals.

• Leading up: But Biden’s presence turned into action, as an FBI document revealed that an executive from Burisma allegedly bribed then-Vice President Joe Biden millions to keep a prosecutor from investigating the company.
• Far before that, emails from Hunter’s laptop showed that Joe Biden met with his son’s associates from Ukraine, Russia, and Kazakhstan as vice president and that a large chunk of a business deal was allegedly saved for Joe Biden.

How does this affect Joe Biden? Archer’s sworn testimony provides more information that conflicts with Joe Biden’s past claims of having no knowledge of his son’s financial dealings. House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) vowed the congressional panel will continue investigating to determine whether the president “is compromised and corrupt,” possibly leading to an impeachment inquiry.