FBI Told Twitter Hunter Biden Laptop Story Was True on Day It Broke, Hid Info from Other Tech Companies
A top FBI official has testified that the Bureau informed Twitter that reports on the Hunter Biden laptop story were real on the same day the New York Post broke the story. Laura Dehmlow, section chief of the FBI’s Foreign Influence Task Force (FITF), disclosed that the FBI was aware of the authenticity of the “Laptop from Hell” as early as 2019.
According to Dehmlow, the FBI confirmed the laptop story’s validity to Twitter when the Post broke its report but they refused to divulge any more information.
The FBI then retracted its statement with a hasty “no further comment” response and withheld the information from other Big Tech companies as the story was shut down across social media.
From that point forward, the FBI withheld comment on the laptop’s veracity.
The FBI’s refusal to divulge information on the legitimacy of the story led to widespread confusion and speculation ahead of the 2020 election.
Dehmlow’s testimony was revealed in a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray from House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH).
The FBI had been warning social media platforms of potential Russian interference via a “hack and leak” operation prior to the 2020 election.
However, Dehmlow revealed in her testimony that FBI staff were aware that the Hunter Biden laptop story was not an instance of Russian disinformation.
When Twitter inquired about the laptop’s legitimacy on the day of the New York Post’s release, an FBI analyst confirmed its authenticity.
However, an FBI attorney swiftly interrupted, leaving the conversation with “no further comment.”
Following suit, Facebook also received the same vague response from the Bureau.
As per Dehmlow’s account, Twitter, after receiving initial confirmation about the laptop’s legitimacy, joined Facebook in imposing a censorship campaign that significantly influenced the voting behavior of a large number of Americans.
Sharing the link was prohibited on Twitter, and the New York Post account was locked for several weeks.
Facebook also censored the story on its platforms.
The FBI reportedly had regular interactions with major tech companies leading up to the election but chose to avoid answering direct questions about the laptop’s authenticity after the initial admission to Twitter.
Against the backdrop of this confusing narrative, Big Tech was led to believe, by the FBI and other influencers, including the Biden campaign, that the controversial information from Hunter Biden’s laptop was Russian disinformation aimed at manipulating the election.
In reality, however, many consider the censorship of the story to be the true attempt at election manipulation.
The FBI had possession of Hunter Biden’s infamous laptop as early as December 2019.
This is a fact already confirmed in IRS whistleblower Gary Shapley’s testimony to the House Ways and Means Committee.
Yet the FBI chose to maintain its “no comment” narrative until after the 2020 election, further compounding the confusion.
A federal judge’s memorandum ruling in Missouri v. Biden demonstrated that this approach deprived millions of Americans of getting a clear understanding of an important issue in the 2020 presidential election.
Chairman Jordan is now demanding that Wray identify those within the FBI’s FITF who knew about the laptop’s authenticity yet still advocated for the agency to remain silent until after the election.
He also demanded all documents, records, and communications related to the FBI’s meetings with Silicon Valley giants since 2017 be handed over by August 3.
All FBI employees involved in this issue have been ordered to be available for transcribed interviews with the committee.
