The Department of Justice (DOJ) has acknowledged the legitimacy of Hunter Biden’s infamous laptop data for the first time in a new court filing.
In a Tuesday court filing from DOJ prosecutors, which came in response to Biden’s request to have his federal firearm charges dismissed, investigators acknowledge the legitimacy of data found on Biden’s laptop prior to the 2020 election. The court filings described how IRS and FBI investigators had obtained a search warrant for tax violations on Biden, leading them to “various” backup data accounts.
The documents additionally note that investigators later came into “possession” of the laptop that Biden had previously “left at a computer store,” emphasizing that investigators had “already obtained” a large portion of the data from Apple. (RELATED: FBI Investigators Found Cocaine On Firearm Pouch Hunter Biden Used, Prosecutors Say)
“In August 2019, IRS and FBI investigators obtained a search warrant for tax violations for the defendant’s Apple iCloud account. In response to that warrant, in September 2019, Apple produced backups of data from various of the defendant’s electronic devices that he had backed up to his iCloud account,” the court documents stated.
“Investigators also later came into possession of the defendant’s Apple MacBook Pro, which he had left at a computer store. A search warrant was also obtained for his laptop and the results of the search were largely duplicative of information investigators had already obtained from Apple.”
‼️ In a new court filing today, the DOJ confirms Hunter Biden’s laptop is real, that he left it at a computer store, and that the contents matched what they obtained from a search warrant of his iCloud.
Don’t hold your breath for a retraction from Joe Biden (“It’s a Russian… pic.twitter.com/xSZ2YG8JIB— Miranda Devine (@mirandadevine) January 17, 2024
Following the initial report on Biden’s laptop from the New York Post, backlash from Democratic officials, various media outlets and social media platforms ensued. Democratic operatives and their allies attempted to cast the findings from the laptop as “Russian disinformation” and alleged that reporting on it was a form of pro-Trump election interference.
A letter was soon released by 51 former intelligence officials who falsely claimed that the content on Biden’s laptop was a “Russian information operation.” (RELATED: ‘Global’ Gave Hunter Biden Equity Stake For Introductions To Chinese And Indian Contacts, Indictment Shows)
The “Russian disinformation” narrative pushed by officials then led to both Facebook and Twitter censoring the NY Post’s reporting, with sites like Politico claiming the story was false by using the former intel officials’ letter. President Joe Biden called the laptop contents “Russia disinformation” during his 2020 campaign, also using the intelligence officials’ letter as support.
However, while the rumors of Russia interference circled, the FBI reportedly knew that the contents within Biden’s laptop were real due to an interview with Biden’s former business associate, Tony Bobulinski. The agency had previously interviewed Bobulinski on Oct. 23, 2020, after the report broke, in which he confirmed the authenticity of the laptop’s contents, noting that he had additional records on multiple cell phones.
The DOJ and FBI have since shied away from Biden’s laptop contents, with IRS whistleblower Gary Shapley confirming the authenticity of the laptop during testimony to Congress in June 2023, according to the New York Post.
The new filings come as a response to Biden’s investigation for gun charges which his legal team attempted to argue in December should be dismissed. Biden was indicted in September of 2023 on three federal gun charges after he had allegedly illegally purchased a revolver as he was battling a drug addiction.
While Hunter Biden pleaded not guilty to the charges in October of 2023, he could potentially face up to 25 years in prison.
