Following the closed-door testimony of Hunter Biden’s former business associate, Devon Archer, media outlets have faced criticism for falsely attributing a quote to Archer that was actually spoken by Democratic Representative Dan Goldman. Archer’s testimony was a part of an ongoing investigation into the foreign business dealings of the Biden family.

The quote that sparked controversy revolves around Hunter Biden supposedly trading on his father’s influence by offering an “illusion of access.” While many media organizations portrayed this quote as Archer’s, the transcript from the meeting revealed that it was Rep. Goldman who used those exact words in a question directed towards Archer.

Initially, Archer agreed with the characterization that Hunter Biden was “selling the illusion of access to his father.” However, when pressed further by Rep. Goldman, Archer admitted that while the phrase was “almost fair,” there were indeed certain instances of interaction and contact.

Despite the revelation that the quote originated from Rep. Goldman, numerous media outlets had already widely spread the “illusion of access” narrative without thoroughly scrutinizing it. Major news organizations such as The New York Times, The Associated Press, Axios, Time Magazine, Reuters, ABC News, CNN, and others prominently featured this narrative in their coverage of Archer’s testimony.

Critics argue that this incident exemplifies media bias and a lack of proper fact-checking before publishing stories. The misrepresentation of the “illusion of access” quote underscores the difficulties in maintaining accurate and unbiased reporting, particularly when political controversies are involved.