Illusion of Access? We don't need no stinking Illusion of Access!

Archer told the committee staff and lawmakers, "I think Burisma would have gone out of business if it didn't have the brand attached to it." Then, Rep. Dan Goldman, Democrat of New York, asked Archer if he had any knowledge that Joe Biden had any direct involvement with Burisma, and Archer replied, "No."

Archer, according to the transcript, also testified that the elder Biden was put on speaker phone with business contacts, potential business associates including foreign national "maybe 20 times" during the course of Archer's and Hunter Biden's business relationship. Joe Biden was put on the phone to sell "the brand," Archer said.

"Part of what was delivered is the brand," he said. "I mean, it's like anything, you know, if you're Jamie Dimon's son or any CEO. You know, I think that's what we're talking about, is that there was brand being delivered along with other capabilities and reach."

Asked what the Bidens talked about when Joe Biden was on speaker phone, Archer responded, "Say, where are you, how's the weather, how's the fishing, how's the — whatever — but, you know, it was very, you know, casual conversations."

Archer was also asked if then-Vice President Biden regularly "checked in on his son, who's admitted he's had issues with drugs."

"Every day," Archer replied. But asked whether he had ever heard them discuss the "substance of Hunter Biden's business," he responded, "No."

The transcript shows Goldman used the term "illusion of access" in his line of questioning, and Archer's answers were more nuanced.

He asked Archer, "Is it fair to say that Hunter Biden was selling the illusion of access to his father?"

Archer replied, "Yes."

Goldman followed up, "So, when you talk about selling the brand, it's not about selling access to his father. It's about selling the illusion of access to his father. Is that fair?"

Archer replied, "Is that fair? I mean, yeah, that is — I think that's — that's almost fair."

Goldman asked, "'Almost fair.' Why, 'almost fair?'"

"Because there are touch points and contact points that I can't deny that happened, but nothing of material was discussed," Archer said.

Archer's interview was the latest development in the GOP's investigations into Hunter Biden as Republicans seek to tie his controversial business dealings to the president.

The White House has repeatedly denied that the president had any involvement in his son's business ventures. White House spokesperson Ian Sams said in a statement after Archer testified that House Republicans' "own witnesses appear to be debunking their allegations."

"It appears that the House Republicans' own much-hyped witness today testified that he never heard of President Biden discussing business with his son or his son's associates, or doing anything wrong," he said last week.

Hunter Biden's attorney Abbe Lowell said earlier this week Archer's testimony confirmed that he "did not involve his father in, nor did his father assist him in, his business" and that any interaction between Hunter Biden's father and business associates "was simply to exchange small talk."