The FBI's subpoena of Hunter Biden's alleged laptop and hard drive was linked to a money laundering investigation in late 2019, it has been revealed.
The laptop that allegedly belonged to Biden was abandoned at a Delaware computer shop in April 2019 and was found to contain e-mails about his international business dealings that purportedly implicate Joe Biden's while he was serving in the White House.
According to FBI subpoena documents the laptop was part of a part of a 'White Collar Crime' money laundering investigation opened by the FBI’s Baltimore field office, according to a Fox News report.
However, it’s not clear if that investigation is ongoing or if it was directly related to Hunter Biden.
Multiple federal law enforcement officials and two government officials confirmed the authenticity of the subpoena documents issued to John Paul Mac Isaac, the owner of 'The Mac Shop' in Wilmington, Delaware, where Biden allegedly left the laptops for repair work.
Isaac had reported the laptop to authorities. The laptop ended up in the hands of Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani who shared its contents to the New York Post, who released e-mails and compromising photos of Biden from the said laptop last week.
![An FBI Receipt for Property that details the bureau's interactions with computer shop owner John Paul Mac Isaac bears the Case ID number 272D-BA-3065729. '272D' refers to 'Money Laundering, Unknown SUA [Specified Unlawful Activity] – White Collar Crime Program,' according to FBI documents. The 'BA' in indicates the case was opened by the FBI’s Baltimore field office](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2020/10/22/04/34690864-8866457-An_FBI_Receipt_for_property_that_details_the_bureau_s_interactio-a-63_1603338418293.jpg)
An FBI Receipt for Property that details the bureau's interactions with computer shop owner John Paul Mac Isaac bears the Case ID number 272D-BA-3065729. '272D' refers to 'Money Laundering, Unknown SUA [Specified Unlawful Activity] – White Collar Crime Program,' according to FBI documents. The 'BA' in indicates the case was opened by the FBI’s Baltimore field office
On Tuesday former Vice President Joe Biden hit back when asked about investigations of his son Hunter Biden’s laptop. When asked if Hunter 'profited' off the family name he said Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson should be 'ashamed of himself' for probing his family, slamming the laptop controversy as a 'smear'
An FBI 'Receipt for Property' form, which details the bureau’s interactions with Isaac, has a Case ID section which was filled in with the handwritten number 272D-BA-3065729
The FBI’s website says '272' is the classification for money laundering.
'272D' refers to 'Money Laundering, Unknown SUA [Specified Unlawful Activity ] – White Collar Crime Program,' according to FBI documents.
One government officials described '272D' as 'transnational or blanket'.
The 'BA' in the Case ID indicates the case was opened by the FBI’s Baltimore field office, sources said.
The documents saw the subpoena was carried out in Wilmington, Delaware, which is under the jurisdiction of the Baltimore Field Office.
The documents were signed by FBI Special Agent Joshua Wilson, who hasn't commented on the papers.
This is the subpoena sent to The Mac Shop owner John Paul Mac Isaac to testify before the US District Court in Delaware on December 9, 2019. One official said the case would have been opened prior to Isaac’s subpoena
A view of the subpeona issued for The Mac Shop owner John Paul Mac Isaac on December 9, 2019 above. 'If a criminal case was opened and subpoenas were issued, that means there is a high likelihood that both the laptop and hard drive contain fruits of criminal activity,' one official said
One document appears to show the serial number for a laptop and hard drive that were obtained by the FBI
'The FBI cannot open a case without predication, so they believed there was predication for criminal activity,' one government official said to Fox News.
'This means there was sufficient evidence to believe that there was criminal conduct.'
Another document was a subpoena sent to Isaac to testify before the US District Court in Delaware on December 9, 2019.
One page of the subpoena shows what appears to be serial numbers for a laptop and hard drive that were seized.
One official said the case would have been opened prior to Isaac’s subpoena based on the date of his subpoena.
'If a criminal case was opened and subpoenas were issued, that means there is a high likelihood that both the laptop and hard drive contain fruits of criminal activity,' the official said.
The FBI is in possession of the laptop but has declined to comment on if there’s an investigation into the laptop or e-mails, as is standard protocol.
Last week a New York Post report claimed that Hunter Biden’s laptop was abandoned at The Mac Shop in Wilmington, Delaware (above) for months and was found to contain e-mails that purportedly implicate Joe Biden in his son's international business deals during his time as Vice President. The Biden campaign has denies any wrongdoing
The Mac Shop owner John Paul Mac Isaac pictured above
On Tuesday the FBI notified Congress that they had nothing to add at the time on whether Russia orchestrated the discovery of the computer.
Sen. Ron Johnson, a Trump ally and chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, has demanded more information into the computer. He is investigating Hunter Biden’s business dealings and the laptop.
In September Johnson released a report along with another Senate committee arguing that Hunter Biden’s work in Ukraine years ago constituted a conflict of interest for the Obama administration. It notably did not implicate Joe Biden in any wrongdoing.
On Wednesday the Biden campaign condemned the claims against Biden that were first reported by the New York Post last week.
'The Attorney General of Delaware's office indicated that the FBI has "ongoing investigations regarding the veracity of this entire story." And it would be unsurprising for an investigation of a disinformation action involving Rudy Giuliani and those assisting him to involve questions about money laundering, especially since there are other documented inquiries into his dealings,' campaign spokesman Andrew Bates said to in a statement.
'In fact, Donald Trump's own national security adviser warned the president that material furnished by Giuliani should be considered tainted by Russian interference,' he added.
Richard Sauber, an attorney connected to the Biden campaign also said the report based off Giuliani’s tip needs to be investigated as a Russian disinformation campaign.
'Criminal investigations of Russian disinformation campaigns that include the witting participation of American citizens like Rudy Giuliani often involve investigation by the FBI of whether the American has received payment for these activities that would implicate the Federal Money Laundering statutes,' he said.
There has been debate over whether the laptop is part of a foreign disinformation campaign seeking to interfere with the election, less than two weeks away.
Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe said this week the laptop and its contents 'is not part of some Russian disinformation campaign'.
The New York Post published a photograph, said to be found on an abandoned laptop, showing Hunter with a crack pipe in his mouth, left. A series of compromising pictures of Democratic candidate Joe Biden's son Hunter, 50, (above) have been released just weeks ahead of the US election on November 3
However, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff alluded last week that it was.
He said on CNN last week: 'We know that this whole smear on Joe Biden comes from the Kremlin.'
Trump has also demanded Attorney General Bill Barr appoint a special counsel to investigate the issue, despite Justice Department policies against taking actions that would interfere in an election.
'We've got to get the attorney general to act. He's got to act. And he's got to act fast. He's got to appoint somebody,' Trump told 'Fox & Friends' Tuesday.
Insiders said both the FBI and the Department of Justice have concurred with Ratcliffe's assessment on Monday that there is no evidence to support the files are part of a Russian disinformation scheme.
Hunter Biden’s international business deals fell into the spotlight once again last week following the new report.
One e-mail from the computer dated May 13, 2017 discusses 'remuneration packages' for six people in a business deal with the now-bankrupt CEFC China Energy Co.
Insiders said both the FBI and the Department of Justice have concurred with Ratcliffe's assessment on Monday that there is no evidence to support the files are part of a Russian disinformation scheme. However, Trump has demanded Attorney General Bill Barr appoint a special counsel to investigate the issue, despite Justice Department policies against taking actions that would interfere in an election. Trump pictured Wednesday evening speaking at a rally in Gastonia, North Carolina
The e-mail appeared to identify Hunter Biden as 'Chair/Vice Chair depending on the agreement with CEFC'.
The e-mail also states that 'Hunter has some office expectations he will elaborate'.
It also proposed equity split differences including '20' for 'H' and '10 held by H for the big guy?' with no further elaboration.
Sources claim that 'the big guy' is a reference to Joe Biden.
Burisma adviser Vadym Pozharskyi thanked Hunter Biden for 'an opportunity to meet your father' in an email sent in 2015, according to the stash of data given to the New York Post by Giuliani.
However, the email did not state that the two actually met, and the Biden campaign responded that 'we have reviewed Joe Biden's official schedules from the time and no meeting, as alleged by the New York Post, ever took place.'
The e-mails also included a picture of Hunter with what appears to be a crack pipe and an 11-minute sex and drug video that is yet to be seen.
The Biden campaign has blasted the release as a smear, and pointed to Biden's tax returns and financial disclosures, which show no such income. Trump has not released his tax returns, which are the subject of ongoing litigation and a multi-year IRS audit.
Burisma adviser Vadym Pozharskyi thanked Hunter Biden for 'an opportunity to meet your father' in an email sent in 2015, according to the stash of data given to the New York Post by Giuliani. However the email did not state that the two actually met, and the Biden campaign responded that 'we have reviewed Joe Biden's official schedules from the time and no meeting, as alleged by the New York Post, ever took place.'
On Tuesday Biden defended his family and slammed the laptop controversy as a 'smear' campaign.
When a WISN reporter asked Biden if there was any legitimacy to Wisconsin's Republican Senator Ron Johnson's investigation into corruption in Biden's family, he fumed.
'None whatsoever!' Biden said. 'This is the same garbage Rudy Giuliani, Trump's henchman, it's a last-ditch effort in this desperate campaign to smear me and my family.'
The emails surfaced as U.S. officials have been warning that Russia, which backed Trump's 2016 campaign through hacking of Democratic emails and a covert social media campaign, is interfering again this year.
The controversy comes as Joe Biden is set to face President Donald Trump on a debate stage in Nashville Thursday – with Trump gearing up to accuse his rival of 'corruption' on stage just like he did four years ago.
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