The FBI authenticated Hunter Biden’s laptop as far back as November 2019, according to testimony from an IRS whistleblower released on Thursday, and knew the device was not part of a foreign disinformation campaign.
The Bureau learned of the laptop in October 2019, the whistleblower, IRS supervisory agent Gary Shapley said, and just one month later verified its authenticity. The IRS was notified about the laptop in December 2019 and told that "it likely contained evidence of a tax crime," the whistleblower said.
Shapley's stunning claims raise important questions about the Department of Justice’s conduct over the last several years.
FBI director Christopher Wray refused as recently as March to verify that the contents of Hunter Biden’s hard drive were not part of a foreign disinformation campaign. Numerous outside investigators and newsrooms, including the Washington Free Beacon, have concluded that Hunter Biden’s hard drive is authentic since its existence was made public by the New York Post in October 2020.
One week after the New York Post's initial report more than 50 former senior intelligence officials signed a letter alleging that it "has all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation." Signatories of that letter included former Director of National Intelligence Jim Clapper, as well as former CIA directors Leon Panetta and John Brennan. That letter was later cited in an Oct. 22 presidential debate by Joe Biden, who said the release of the laptop was part of a "Russian plan." Since he took office, Biden’s White House has insinuated that the laptop was part of a Russian disinformation campaign.
"I think it’s broadly known and widely known…that there was a broad range of Russian disinformation back in 2020," former White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in Sept. 2021.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in August 2022 that the FBI briefed Facebook ahead of the 2020 presidential election about "Russian propaganda" and said his platform should be on "high alert." Zuckerberg said that meeting, which the FBI confirmed took place, was the rationale behind his company censoring all news stories that mentioned the laptop’s contents.
Shapley says the tax agency recommended felony charges against Hunter Biden and that the federal prosecutor handling the probe of the first son was prevented on multiple occasions from filing charges.
This is a developing story.