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Wisconsin Watch partners with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. Read our methodology to learn how we check claims.

No.

Information cited to Wisconsin Watch by U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany does not show President Joe Biden closed business deals for his son Hunter Biden.

Tiffany, a Republican who represents most of northern Wisconsin, made the claim Sept. 13, 2023, on social media.

The previous day, House Republicans launched an impeachment inquiry into Biden. They have accused Biden of profiting while he was vice president from Hunter Biden’s business ventures.

Tiffany’s office cited an August Wall Street Journal report on closed-door congressional testimony given by Devon Archer, a former Hunter Biden business associate, about Joe Biden participating with Hunter in about 20 phone calls when Biden was vice president.

The Journal quoted Republican Rep. James Comer as saying Archer testified that Joe Biden was put on the phone to help Hunter sell “the brand.”

A transcript shows Archer testified that Joe and Hunter never discussed business on the calls.

This Fact Brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

Sources

Rep. Tom Tiffany (Twitter): Joe Biden joined 20 phone calls with Hunter’s business partners to close these deals & enrich his family.

Reuters: US House’s McCarthy opens long-shot impeachment probe of Biden

Wall Street Journal: Devon Archer Says Joe Biden Often Joined Calls With Son Hunter

Scribd: Devon Archer testimony transcript

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Tom Kertscher joined as a Wisconsin Watch fact checker in January 2023 and contributes to our collaboration with the The Gigafact Project to fight misinformation online. Kertscher is a former longtime newspaper reporter, including at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, who has worked as a self-employed journalist since 2019. His gigs include contributing writer for Milwaukee Magazine and sports freelancer for The Associated Press.