President Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden, has made headlines again.
This time, he is seeking justice for the unauthorized access and dissemination of his personal data. Hunter Biden's lawyers have written a letter to the Justice Department asking for a criminal inquiry into close allies of former President Donald Trump and others who have reportedly accessed and spread personal data from a laptop that was dropped off at a Delaware computer repair shop in 2019.
In a separate letter, Biden's attorneys have also asked Fox News host Tucker Carlson to retract and apologize for what they say are false and defamatory claims made about him repeatedly on-air. The request for a criminal inquiry into the matter comes as Hunter Biden faces his own tax evasion investigation by the Justice Department. Nevertheless, the move represents a shift in strategy and a rare public response by the younger Biden and his legal team to years of attacks by Republican officials and conservative media, scrutiny expected to continue now that the GOP has taken over the House.
The letter, signed by prominent Washington attorney Abbe Lowell, seeks an investigation into former Trump strategist Steve Bannon, Trump's longtime lawyer Rudy Giuliani, Giuliani's attorney and the Wilmington computer repair shop owner, John Paul Mac Isaac. The letter cites passages from Mac Isaac's book in which he admitted to reviewing private and sensitive material from Biden's laptop, including a file titled "income.pdf." It notes that Mac Isaac sent a copy of the laptop data to Giuliani's lawyer, Robert Costello, who in turn shared it with Giuliani, a close ally of Trump's. Giuliani provided the information to a reporter at the New York Post and also to Bannon, according to the letter. Hunter Biden never consented to any of his personal information being accessed or shared in that manner, his lawyer says.
"This failed dirty political trick directly resulted in the exposure, exploitation, and manipulation of Mr. Biden's private and personal information," the letter says, adding, "Politicians and the news media have used this unlawfully accessed, copied, distributed, and manipulated data to distort the truth and cause harm to Mr. Biden."
The letter to the Justice Department was addressed to its top national security official, Matthew Olsen. It cites possible violations of statutes prohibiting the unauthorized access of a computer or stored electronic communication, as well as the transport of stolen data across state lines and the publication of restricted personal data with the intent to intimidate or threaten. It also asks prosecutors to investigate whether any of the data was manipulated or tampered with in any way.
In conclusion, Hunter Biden's demand for a criminal inquiry into the matter is a bold move and a step towards justice for the unauthorized access and dissemination of his personal data. It is hoped that the Justice Department will take the necessary steps to investigate the matter thoroughly and bring those responsible to justice.
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Sources:
CNN: https://edition.cnn.com/2023/02/01/politics/hunter-biden-laptop-contents-letter/index.html
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