The FBI knew the contents of Hunter Biden’s laptop featured in the New York Post’s reporting ahead of the 2020 presidential election were real, according to a newly released FBI FD-302 form summarizing the bureau’s interview with Hunter Biden’s former business associate, Tony Bobulinski.
The FBI interviewed Bobulinski on Oct. 23, 2020 after the New York Post’s story contained emails from the Hunter Biden laptop archive Bobulinski was copied on, the FD-302 form states. Bobulinski told the FBI he knew the emails were legitimate and had records of the emails on multiple cell phones, the form asserts. (RELATED: Here’s All The Evidence Connecting Joe Biden To Hunter Biden’s Foreign Business Dealings)
READ THE FBI FORM:
“In addition, the New York Post recently published HUNTER BIDEN emails in which BOBULINSKI was copied. BOBULINSKI’s name was not redacted from the published emails, which put his name in the public domain and caused significant concern for his family’s safety,” the document reads. The FD-302 form’s contents were first reported by the New York Post.
“Nonetheless, BOBULINSKI was aware that the emails published by the New York Post were legitimate because BOBULINSKI was copied on them and had records of the emails on his own cellular devices,” the document adds.
“BOBULINSKI declined to provide his three cell phones to the FBI for imaging. BOBULINSKI voluntarily provided the interviewing agents with copies of emails and text messages that were contained on PASSANTINO’s laptop computer. The emails and text messages were loaded onto a flash drive that was in the possession of PASSANTINO,” the document specifies.
The three cell phones Bobulinski brought that contained communications records were no longer in use. One of the phones Bobulinski was using, a Blackberry Key One, appeared to contain Hunter Biden’s contact information, the FD-302 form says. Neither of Bobulinski’s two active phones contained information relevant to the “SinoHawk” joint venture proposal with Chinese business associates that led to discussions about Joe Biden’s involvement.
Bobulinski’s counsel Stefan Passantino was present for the FBI interview, and he said there were no attorney-client privileged communications on the flash drive. FBI examiners observed Passantino loading the documents on the flash drive and ensured the files were properly transferred and saved. The FBI agents provided Passantino with an FD-597 form in connection with the receipt of the flash drive. Both the flash drive and original copy of the FD-597 are maintained as a physical 1A file, according to the FD-302 form.
“BOBULINSKI did not want the FBI to forensically image the iPhone, Blackberry Bold or the Blackberry Key. BOBULINSKI used the three devices for personal communications and other business transactions, and he was sensitive about permitting the entirety of the data on the phones to be imaged and retained by the FBI,” the FD-302 form indicates.
“BOBULINSKI was willing to provide forensic reports produced by a forensic expert recently hired by BOBULINSKI. The forensic expert had fourteen years of experience, including experience working with the FBI. The forensic expert had reviewed the data on the phones and had produced reports on the phones using Cellebrite software,” the form adds.
Bobulinski asked the FBI to take steps to verify the communications on his cell phones by confirming the make and model of the devices. The FBI agents reiterated to Bobulinski he was not obligated to turn the devices over and told Passantino the agents would not be able to selectively search for the relevant texts and data.
BREAKING: FBI Doc Reveals FBI Obtained Flash Drive Authenticating Hunter Laptop Weeks Before 2020 Electionhttps://t.co/wyy2B8Uk63
— Paul Sperry (@paulsperry_) October 7, 2023
The New York Post reported on Oct. 15, 2020 an email sent by Hunter Biden’s former business associate James Gilliar. Gilliar asked about holding 10% of a potential equity stake for “the big guy,” an apparent reference to Joe Biden, who was not holding political office at the time.
“10 held by H for the big guy?” Gilliar asked his business partners in May 2017. Bobulinski was one of the business associates on the email thread featuring Gilliar’s question. Gilliar also apparently sent Bobulinski a text expressing paranoia about Joe Biden’s potential involvement with the joint venture.
“Don’t mention Joe being involved, it’s only when u are face to face[.] I know u know that but they are paranoid,” Gilliar texted Bobulinski, according to the House Oversight Committee. Joe Biden’s name was not listed on ownership forms for the joint venture.
“An additional 10% was to be held by HUNTER BIDEN for the ‘big guy,’ which was a reference to JOSEPH BIDEN. HUNTER BIDEN was going to hold JOSEPH BIDEN’s ownership percentage on behalf of JOSEPH BIDEN. JOSEPH BIDEN was not officially listed on the capitalization documentation or legal incorporation documents. Instead, BOBULINSKI, HUNTER BIDEN, WALKER, GILLIAR, and JAMES BIDEN were each listed in these documents as holding 20% of the company,” the FD-302 form reads.
On Oct. 14, 2020, the New York Post reported on emails from Biden’s laptop related to Ukrainian energy firm Burisma, and Twitter and Facebook censored their story. The Senate released a report in September 2020 outlining Hunter Biden’s foreign business dealings with individuals and entities from Ukraine, Russia and China.
Joe Biden said the contents of Hunter Biden’s laptop were a “Russian plan” during an October 2020 presidential debate that took place after the New York Post’s reporting on Hunter Biden’s foreign business dealings, an official debate transcript shows. (RELATED: These Are The Biggest Lies Joe Biden Told About Hunter’s Foreign Influence Peddling)
His false assertion was based on a discredited letter written by 51 former intelligence officials who claimed the laptop contents were part of a “Russian information operation” without presenting evidence to back up their claims. The Daily Caller News Foundation, The New York Times, Washington Post and other media outlets have authenticated the laptop contents.
One of the letter’s signatories, former CIA official Michael Morrell, testified to the House Judiciary Committee in April and said then-Biden campaign advisor Antony Blinken orchestrated the discredited letter. Morrell said one of the reasons he signed the letter was to help Joe Biden win the 2020 presidential election. Blinken is now serving as Secretary of State in the Biden administration.
The House Ways and Means Committee released the FBI FD-302 form in late September alongside a trove of documents substantiating testimony from IRS whistleblowers Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler. Shapley testified to the House Ways and Means Committee in May the FBI verified the contents of Hunter Biden’s laptop as early as November 2019.
“In October 2019, the FBI became aware that a repair shop had a laptop allegedly belonging to Hunter Biden and that the laptop might contain evidence of a crime. The FBI verified its authenticity in November of 2019 by matching the device number against Hunter Biden’s Apple iCloud ID,” Shapley testified.
Hunter Biden is suing the IRS for what his legal team claims to be illegal disclosures by the IRS whistleblowers in their testimony and cable news interviews. He is also suing former Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani, Delaware computer repairman John Mac Isaac and former Trump aide Garrett Ziegler for disseminating the laptop contents.
The Biden family and its business associates received more than $24 million from individuals and associates from Ukraine, Russia, China, Romania and Kazakhstan, according to a House memo circulated prior to the first impeachment inquiry hearing for President Joe Biden. The House Oversight Committee subpoenaed Hunter Biden’s personal and business bank records following the hearing.
The FBI did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication.