The Department of Justice (DOJ) has acknowledged for the first time the validity of Hunter Biden's infamous laptop data in a new court filing.
In a court filing filed Tuesday by Justice Department prosecutors in response to Biden's request to have federal firearms charges dismissed, investigators said they had discovered evidence on Biden's laptop before the 2020 election. The validity of the data was acknowledged. Court filings describe how IRS and FBI agents obtained search warrants for tax violations against Biden and directed them to “various” backup data accounts.
The document also notes that investigators later “possessed” a laptop Biden had previously “placed at a computer store,” and that investigators had “already obtained” much of the data from Apple. I am emphasizing that. (Related: FBI agents find cocaine in gun pouch used by Hunter Biden, prosecutors say)
“In August 2019, IRS and FBI agents obtained a search warrant for the defendant's Apple iCloud account for tax violations. and created backups of data from various electronic devices,” court documents state.
“Investigators subsequently obtained an Apple MacBook Pro that the defendant had left behind at a computer store. A search warrant was also obtained for his laptop, and the search results largely overlapped with information investigators had already obtained from Apple. .”
‼ ️ In a new court filing today, the Justice Department says Hunter Biden's laptop is real, that he left it at a computer store, and that its contents were obtained from a search warrant on his iCloud. I confirmed that it matched.
Don’t hold your breath over Joe Biden’s retraction (“It’s Russia’s… pic.twitter.com/xSZ2YG8JIB— Miranda Devine (@mirandadevine) January 17, 2024
The New York Post's initial report on Biden's laptop was followed by backlash from Democratic officials, various news organizations and social media platforms. Democratic operatives and their allies sought to brand the findings on the laptop as “Russian disinformation” and argued that reports about it were a form of election interference in favor of Trump.
A letter was soon released by 51 former intelligence officials falsely claiming that the contents of Mr. Biden's laptop were a “Russian intelligence operation.” (Related: 'Global' Offers Hunter Biden Stock for Introductions to Chinese and Indian Officials, Indictment Reveals)
The “Russian disinformation” theory promoted by officials subsequently led to censorship of the New York Post's reporting by both Facebook and Twitter, and sites such as Politico used the former intelligence official's letter to publish the story. claimed to be false. President Joe Biden called the contents of the laptop “Russian disinformation” during his 2020 campaign, using letters from intelligence officials as support.
However, amid rumors of Russian interference, the FBI reportedly learned that the contents of Biden's laptop were real after interviewing Tony Bobulinski, a former business associate of Biden's. The agency interviewed Mr. Bobulinski on October 23, 2020 after the report, in which he confirmed the authenticity of the contents of the laptop and additional records on multiple cell phones. I pointed out something.
Since then, the Justice Department and FBI have avoided the contents of Biden's laptop, and IRS whistleblower Gary Shapley acknowledged the laptop's authenticity in June 2023 testimony to Congress. according to to the New York Post.
The new filing comes in response to the investigation into Biden's firearms charges, which his legal team tried to argue should be dropped in December. Biden was indicted on three federal gun charges in September 2023 for allegedly purchasing a revolver illegally while battling drug addiction.
Hunter Biden pleaded not guilty in October 2023, but could face up to 25 years in prison.
