Hunter Biden falsely claimed that the intelligence community has publicly concluded that his laptop saga is “Russian disinformation,” arguing he has “done nothing wrong” and is confident he will be cleared as the Justice Department investigates his taxes.
President Joe Biden’s son has been on a media blitz to promote his memoir, Beautiful Things, where he has admitted that the purported laptop allegedly dropped off for repairs at a Delaware repair shop in 2019 could be his but has said he doesn’t remember and that it could have been stolen, he could have been hacked, or Russian intelligence could have been involved, without providing any evidence.
But in an interview on the WTF with Marc Maron podcast this week, Hunter went even further, claiming that a recently released report from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence had assessed that the laptop story was a Kremlin-based falsehood, which is not true. John Ratcliffe, former President Donald Trump’s director of National Intelligence, said there was no evidence that the laptop story was a Russian disinformation operation, and the report released by Biden’s spy community in March made no specific reference to the laptop.
HUNTER BIDEN’S TELL-ALL MEMOIR LEAVES A LOT OUT
“I say it to everybody — I think I write it in the book — is that, this is the truest thing I ever heard, is that, getting sober is easy, all you gotta do is change everything. And I can tell you that the ability to change everything requires, at least from me, not only getting honest with the people around me but getting honest with myself. And for the first time, I’ve been allowed to — I’ve given myself permission to do that,” Biden said. “Now, you know, it’s a hell of a lot easier when your story is being — um, you know, the concocted story of you out there is even worse than the story I write in the book.”
Maron then asked, “But, did you pick up your laptop or?”
Hunter laughed, then replied, “Yeah, the creepiest thing is — look, I have no clue what’s real. Only thing I do know is that the intelligence community just came out with a report that said the entire thing is Russian disinformation. And I tell people — just give them my book. I mean, it’s all right there. I’ve got nothing to hide.”
Maron said: “The funny thing is like, you know, like, given how much s— was stolen from you over the years when you were high, who the f— knows.”
Hunter agreed, replying: “Yeah. Yeah. I mean, exactly, who knows. Only thing I do know is that Rudy Giuliani is supposedly sleeping with it, which is creepy enough just to even think about.”
Biden’s 2020 campaign, along with many in the media, dismissed the laptop story, which emerged in October, as being part of a Russian disinformation operation, without evidence. Concerns about Hunter Biden gained broader attention late last year after multiple outlets reported that he is being federally investigated in connection with his taxes and potentially related to his overseas business with China and other countries.
During a presidential debate, Biden dismissed the laptop emails as part of a “Russian plan” and cited a letter from dozens of former intelligence officials, saying, “There are 50 former national intelligence folks who said that what [Trump’s] accusing me of is a Russian plan.”
Joe Biden was referring to a Politico report that over 50 ex-intelligence officials, including Obama CIA Director John Brennan, signed a letter in an article by Natasha Bertrand titled “Hunter Biden story is Russian disinfo, dozens of former intel officials say.” The signatories cited another article claiming that “federal authorities are investigating whether the material … is part of a smoke bomb of disinformation pushed by Russia” but stressed that “we do not know whether these press reports are accurate.” The officials claimed the laptop “has all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation” but admitted that “we do not have evidence of Russian involvement.”
Ratcliffe said last year that “there is no intelligence that supports that, and we have shared no intelligence with Chairman Schiff or any other member of Congress that Hunter Biden’s laptop is part of some Russian disinformation campaign.” A senior intelligence official told the Washington Examiner that “the IC and DOJ are in lock-step on this: there is absolutely zero evidence or intel that the laptop or the information contained therein is a Russian op.” And a federal law enforcement official told the Washington Examiner in October the FBI and DOJ agreed with Ratcliffe.
The report released by Biden’s Office of the Director of National Intelligence concluded that “Russian state media, trolls, and online proxies, including those directed by Russian intelligence, published disparaging content about President Biden, his family, and the Democratic Party, and heavily amplified related content circulating in US media, including stories centered on his son.” But it did not reference the Hunter Biden laptop story and reached no public conclusions related to it.
A number of media figures, including MSNBC’s Chris Hayes and NPR, initially claimed the ODNI report had dismissed the Biden laptop story before largely backtracking.
During a Thursday interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the host said that “when they ask you if that was your laptop, you say you don’t know, which is hard to believe unless you read the book and then it’s like, I’m surprised you have shoes on.”
“Yeah, I made it, I made it today. Pants were the problem. Pants were the problem,” Hunter said, adding, “No, look, I really don’t know, and the fact of the matter is, is it’s a red herring. It is absolutely a red herring. But I am absolutely, I think, within my rights to question anything that comes from the desk of Rudy Giuliani, and so I don’t know is the answer.”
Kimmel quipped, “Do you ever wish you had AppleCare?”
“Yeah, that would’ve been good,” Hunter replied.
John Paul Mac Isaac, the Delaware computer repair shop owner who said he came into possession of Biden’s computer, told the New York Post that he made a copy of the hard drive and provided it to a lawyer for former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who was a lawyer for Trump at the time. Mac Isaac said he also provided a copy to the FBI after the younger Biden never picked up the hardware after dropping it off for repairs in April 2019.
During his interview with Maron, Hunter was also asked about his work for a Chinese equity firm, BHR Partners.
“Well, that, you know, was — is a private equity firm. The idea was to create a private equity group to be able to invest outside of China into U.S. infrastructure projects and things like that. Which all was, you know, shut down,” Hunter claimed. “I mean, again, really kind of simple thing, I invested in it. I have never received a dollar from it, not a dime.” Maron said that it didn’t seem like Hunter had made a lot of money from this.
“No, none. I mean, zero,” Hunter claimed. “Literally and, you know, they have me carrying a bag of — I mean, it’s like, it becomes ridiculous.”
White House press secretary Jen Psaki was asked in early February about reports that Hunter Biden still owned a 10% stake in the Chinese investment firm formed with state-owned entities, and she said he “has been working to unwind his investment.” Two Chinese business websites run by Baidu and Qixin seem to show a limited liability corporation, Skaneateles, as still having Hunter as a “sponsor/shareholder” with 3 million yuan invested in the company, purportedly comprising the 10% stake in the venture.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Maron then referenced the federal investigation into Hunter and asked if he was “still in a little bit of trouble.”
“Oh no, I mean, there’s an investigation. I think everything is going to be fine. But it’s, you know, let it play itself out, but I’m absolutely certain at the end of the day everything is going to be fine. I’m absolutely certain I did nothing wrong,” Hunter said, adding, “Taxes. I have really good accountants.”
Maron said that if he wasn’t charged, then critics would say that “he got off because of his old man,” but if he was charged, then “it’s going to be the most painful thing in the world for everybody involved.”
“Yeah. Well, I just know that, you know, I’m cooperating with anything anybody wants to ask me. I’m an absolute open book. Complete transparency. It’s all out there. And whatever comes, I know that there are people that are, you know, professionals, this is what they do, and it’s going to come to a conclusion. I know what I’ve done, and I know that I’ve done nothing wrong, and so I’m going to let the process play out. I’m going to be OK,” Hunter said, adding, “I do appreciate — I mean it for real — I appreciate the concern. You know, people listening can’t see this, but your eyes, I see it in your eyes. I’m OK buddy. I really do. I appreciate it.”
