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Secret Service Official on Hunter: ‘Maybe We
Were Asked for A Favor?’
As you know, we are investigating whether and how the Secret Service
intervened for Hunter Biden in an incident involving a gun he allegedly
owned. Here’s the latest.
We received records from the Secret Service related to the investigation of
Hunter Biden’s gun, reportedly disposed of in a dumpster in Delaware
in October 2018.
These new records suggest that one can’t take at face value the Secret
Service’s denial that it wasn’t involved in the Hunter Biden gun
cover-up.
The records show agency officials discussing media reports of its alleged
involvement, with one finding it “odd” that the Secret Service was
involved in the investigation when Joe and Hunter Biden were not receiving
Secret Service protection at the time. Another official responds: “Maybe
we were asked for a favor?”
The records show the agency alerted the Biden White House and crafted a
public statement insisting it had “no involvement in this alleged
incident” and refusing to provide any additional clarification to media
inquiries.
In September 2022, we filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit for records or
communications about the reported purchase, possession, and disposal of a
firearm owned by Hunter Biden found in a Delaware dumpster in October 2018
(Judicial Watch, Inc. v.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security (No. 1:22-cv-02841)).
We reported in December
2022 that the Secret Service repeatedly changed its position
about whether it is in possession of records related to the investigation
of Hunter Biden’s gun.
The newly obtained records show that on October 29, 2020, a person whose
name is redacted emails a Secret
Service official in the “PID” (Protective Intelligence and Assessment
Division) with a link to a Blaze article
published earlier that day, reporting that Hallie Biden had taken a handgun
owned by Hunter Biden in October 2018 and thrown it into a supermarket
trash bin. The official then forwards the article to another official in
the PID.
An official whose name is redacted later comments in this chain: “Oh
dear…”
After being forwarded the same Blaze article, an unidentified
Protective Intelligence Research Specialist responds to his colleagues:
“It’s kind of odd that we were involved in the missing gun
investigation when neither Hunter or Joe were even receiving USSS [Secret
Service] protection at the time? Hmmm.” Another official replies:
“Maybe we were asked for a favor?”
Senior Secret Service officials, whose names were disclosed in the records,
were also notified of The
Blaze article on November 2, 2020. They include James Henry,
then-Special Agent in Charge of the Philadelphia Field Office; Michael
D’Ambrosio, Assistant Director of the U.S. Secret Service in charge of
oversight of all Secret Service domestic and foreign Secret Service
offices; Steven Stanford, then-Deputy Assistant Director; Leonza Newsome
III, then-Deputy Director; and Douglas Henderson, Deputy Assistant
Director, Office of Investigations.
After The Blaze article was forwarded by James Henry to a
colleague in the Wilmington, DE, office, whose name is redacted, the
colleague responds to Henry: “Digging in now. There is more information
but I don’t have it yet.”
In response to a February 24, 2021, email inquiry from
Politico reporter Ben Schreckinger regarding the Secret Service’s
involvement in the investigation of the Hunter Biden gun incident, the
Communications Department asks for “more information or documentation.”
Schreckinger responds: “Sure thing. Agents visited StarQuest Shooters &
Survival Supply and asked to take possession of the paperwork Hunter had
filled out to purchase a gun there. The FBI also had some involvement in
the investigation.”
The Communications Office then drafts and distributes internally a proposed
response labeled “Draft/Predecisional/Draft.”
Under the subheading “Internal Background:”
The RAIC [Resident Agent in Charge] of the Wilmington Resident Office
reported that all agents in his office denied any involvement. The Politico
reporter refused to provide any details on the source of the information or
that he was in possession of any official document, where we were
identified. The statement has been drafted to address any implication that
anyone from the service was involved in this incident.
Under the subheading “Draft for Release:”
Statement from the U.S. Secret Service
US Secret Service records confirm that the agency did not provide
protection to any member of the Biden family in 2018, and that the Secret
Service had no involvement in this alleged incident.
Later that day, Secret Service Director of Communications Catherine Milhoan forwards the draft
response for the Politico reporter to Biden White House spokeswoman
Jen Psaki and White House Communications Director Kate Bedingfield:
“Kate/Jen, Good afternoon. For your awareness. We will be releasing the
statement at 4 p.m. Milhoan then sent the draft to other USSS [Secret
Service] officials, writing, “For your awareness … as part of our
standard ops here at the USSS … WH Comms also has awareness of the query
and our anticipated response.”
Milhoan then emails several senior Secret Service officials: “Thanks all.
DHS OPA [Department of Homeland Security Office of Public Affairs] and WH
Comms are tracking as well.”
After receiving the statement, the reporter replies to the
Communications Office, “Just to clarify. Did Secret Service agents ever
visit StarQuest Shooters & Survival Supply and request records related to
Hunter Biden?” A Secret Service official whose name is redacted replies,
“Ben, To reiterate, the Secret Service had no
involvement in this alleged incident.”
In a separate email on February 24,
2021, the Special Agent in Charge of the Presidential Protection Division,
David Cho, emails six officials in the White House, including “JOD”
[likely Jen O’Malley
Dillon], “Just wanted to provide for awareness. Jen Psaki and Kate
Bedingfield were notified by our CMR [Communications and Media Relations]
on the below inquiry. Our response is also stated. In summary – no
records of the event ever occurring. Please advise if you have any
questions.”
On March 2, 2021, the Politico reporter follows up with
additional questions to the Secret Service media office, which sets off
further internal Secret Service exchanges. Schrecklinger asks:
I just wanted to follow up with another couple of questions:
Did Secret Service agents in Delaware do any
work related to President Biden in the period between when his status as a
protectee expired after his vice presidency and when it resumed during his
most recent presidential campaign?
For example, during this period, were Secret
Service agents ever in touch with the Delaware State Police to arrange
police details for Biden?
An official in the communications office whose name is redacted then
forwards the follow-up questions to an official in the Wilmington, DE,
office, whose name is also redacted: “Can you give me a call on the below
questions.”
Wilmington official replies, “I’ll give you a call in about an hour.”
The Wilmington official then forwards the email exchange to James Henry, former
SAC of the Philadelphia Field Office: “FYSA [For Your Situational
Awareness].”
On March 10, 2021, the reporter follows up again with
the Secret Service about their failure to respond to his follow-up
questions of March 2, writing, “Circling back on this. I spoke to someone
on your team about this last week and they said they would get me a
statement by the end of the day, but I haven’t seen anything land. If you
all want to weigh in on this, please get back to me by the end of the day
today.” An official in the Secret Service Communications Office responds,
“Ben, we have no additional information to provide for this
request.”
On March 25, 2021 Special Agent in Charge Benjamin Kramer, emails then-Secret
Service Assistant Director of Intergovernmental and Legislative Affairs
(IGL), Jeremy Sheridan, a copy of the March 25 Politico article
about Hunter Biden’s gun and cited the Secret Service statement in the article:
On Oct. 23, 2018, President Joe Biden’s son Hunter and daughter in law
Hallie were involved in a bizarre incident in which Hallie took Hunter’s
gun and threw it in a trash can behind a grocery store, only to return
later to find it gone.
Delaware police began investigating,
concerned that the trash can was across from a high school and that the
missing gun could be used in a crime …
Arriving on the scene, Delaware State Police
retrieved security camera footage from the store …
But a curious thing happened at the time:
Secret Service agents approached the owner of the store where Hunter bought
the gun and asked to take the paperwork involving the sale, according to
two people, one of whom has firsthand knowledge of the episode and the
other was briefed by a Secret Service agent after the fact.
***
The Federal Bureau of Investigation also responded to the scene,
according to people familiar with the situation. At the time, the FBI was
monitoring Hunter Biden as part of an investigation that remains ongoing
and that currently focuses on his taxes. The FBI declined to comment.
***
A Secret Service spokesperson said the agency has no record of
involvement in the incident: “U.S. Secret Service records confirm that
the agency did not provide protection to any member of the Biden family in
2018, and that the Secret Service had no involvement in this alleged
incident.”
Kramer then asks Sheridan, “Confirming this is comment we can relay if
inquiries are made from Hill counterparts or if anything further needs to
be discussed (?).” Sheridan replied, “Yes, the comment as provided in
the article is our response to any inquiries.”
On March 25, 2021, Milhoan forwards the
Politico article to several senior Secret Service officials: “For
your awareness … the article is total BS as we all know. Leadership is
aware and I will let you know if CMR [Office of Communications and Media
Relations] receives any queries.”
On March 26, 2021, New York Post reporter Lorena Mongelli reaches out to the
Secret Service Communications Office, asking for comment on text messages
on Hunter Biden’s lost laptop:
It appears the text messages were sent from Hunter Biden in which he
indicates that the Secret Service did in fact respond to the Oct. 23, 2018
[gun] incident. This information contradicts your previous statement
relating to the incident and we would like to know whether the Secret
Service would like to respond to these new findings.
A person from the Communications Office, whose name is redacted replies:
“We have received your inquiry, would you be able to provide copies of
these alleged text messages for reference?”
Mongelli responds:
The Daily Mail actually posted copies of
the same text messages the NY Post is referencing.
This is what one text message
says:
“She stole the gun out of my trunk lock
box and threw it in a garbage can full to the top at Jansens [sic]. Then
told me it was my problem to deal with," Hunter wrote.
“Then when the police the FBI the secret
service came on the scene she
said she took it from me because she was scared I would harm myself due to o my drug and alcohol
problem and our volatile relationship and that she was afraid for the
kids.”
***
You can view images of the messages here: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9403757/Texts-Hunter-Biden-therapist-Hallie-Biden-leaving-gun-trashcan.html
In October 2020, The Blaze reported that in
October 2018, Hunter Biden’s handgun was taken by Hallie Biden, the widow
of then-presidential nominee Joe Biden’s son Beau. In 2021, Politico
reported:
Hallie took Hunter’s gun and threw it in a trash can behind a grocery
store, only to return later to find it gone.
Delaware police began investigating,
concerned that the trash can was across from a high school and that the
missing gun could be used in a crime, according to law enforcement
officials and a copy of the police report obtained by POLITICO.
But a curious thing happened at the time:
Secret Service agents approached the owner of the store where Hunter bought
the gun and asked to take the paperwork involving the sale, according to
two people, one of whom has firsthand knowledge of the episode and the
other was briefed by a Secret Service agent after the fact.
The Secret Service initially responded to
our FOIA request in this case on April 2, 2021, stating that it had located
potentially responsive records and would process them in accordance with
FOIA. Then, on October 13, 2022, the Secret Service said that the April
2021 response was sent in error and that it did not have any records
responsive to the FOIA request.
Through FOIA, we have uncovered significant information about Hunter Biden,
who served on the board of directors for
Ukrainian energy firm Burisma Holdings despite having no previous
experience in the energy industry.
In October 2022, we filed a FOIA lawsuit against the
Department of Justice for all records in the possession of FBI Supervisory
Intelligence Analyst Brian Auten regarding an August 6, 2020, briefing
provided to members of the U.S. Senate. Ron Johnson (R-WI) and Chuck
Grassley (R-IA) raised concerns that the briefing was intended to undermine
the senators’ investigation of Hunter Biden.
In December 2020, we received records from the State
Department tying Hunter Biden’s Burisma Holdings’ lobbying operation to
an influence-peddling operation involving the Clinton campaign during the
2016 election. Also uncovered were State Department records showing that
former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie “Masha” Yovanovitch had
specifically warned in 2017 about corruption allegations against Burisma
Holdings.
In October 2020, State Department records that included
a briefing checklist of a February 22, 2019, meeting in Kyiv between
then-U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch and Sally Painter,
co-founder and chief operating officer of Blue Star Strategies, a
Democratic lobbying firm which was hired by Burisma Holdings to combat corruption
allegations. The briefing checklist notes that Painter also planned to meet with Foreign
Commercial Service (FCS) Officer Martin Claessens “regarding the Burisma
Group energy company.” (Painter was implicated in the Clinton-era fundraisingscandal
exposed by Judicial Watch that involved the alleged sale of seats on
Commerce Department trade missions to Democratic National Committee
donors.)
In September 2020, State Department records include
a January 17, 2017, email from George Kent, the Obama administration’s
deputy assistant secretary of state in charge of Ukraine policy, which was
copied to then-U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch, highlighting
Russia-linked media “trolling” Joe Biden over “his son’s
business.” An email was sent
four days prior to the inauguration of President Donald Trump to a redacted
recipient and CCd to Yovanovitch with the subject line “medvedchuk-linked
vesti trolls Biden.” Kent writes: “Burisma – gift that keeps on
giving. (With medvedchuk affiliated Vesti pushing the troll like storyline
on visit day)”
In June 2020, U.S. Secret Service records showed that,
for the first five and a half years of the Obama administration, Hunter
Biden traveled extensively while receiving a Secret Service protective
detail. During the time period of the records provided, Hunter Biden took
411 separate domestic and international flights, including to 29 different
foreign countries. He visited China five times.
We are also suing the DHS for
Secret Service records on Hunter Biden’s travel and security costs, and
suing the State
Department for messages sent through the SMART (State Messaging
and Archive Retrieval Toolkit) system that mention Hunter Biden.
U.S. and UK Health Administrators Had a ‘Confidentiality Agreement’
Tied to Vaccine Adverse Events
We continue to find out more about concerns at the highest levels regarding
the COVID-19 vaccine.
We received records from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
(HHS) that show a discussion between U.S. and UK health regulators that
occurred just two days prior to FDA approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech
COVID-19 vaccine regarding “anaphylaxis,” with
the regulators emphasizing their “mutual confidentiality agreement.”
We obtained the records a FOIA lawsuit against HHS
(Judicial Watch v. U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services (No. 1:22-cv-00660)) after
the FDA, which is an agency of HHS, failed to respond to an August 30,
2021, FOIA request for:
All emails sent to and from members of
the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee regarding
adverse events, deaths and/or injuries caused by investigatory vaccines for
the prevention or treatment of SARS-CoV-2 and/or COVID-19 currently
produced by Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna and/or Johnson & Johnson.
The Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) is the U.S. government’s central advisory body,
along with Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), advising
whether to approve COVID vaccines.
A lengthy, heavily redacted December 2020 email exchange shows
U.S. and UK health officials placing a heavy emphasis on their “mutual
confidentiality agreement” in a discussion regarding “anaphylactoid
reactions” to the COVID vaccine.
The exchange is initiated by Jonathan Mogford, policy director of the
UK’s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency and is sent to
Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock as well as Peter Marks, director of
the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER). The subject line
and body of the email are fully redacted under FOIA Exemption B3 (relating
to statutory prohibitions).
As background, Mogford includes information on “two cases of
anaphylactoid reactions in individuals with a strong past history of
allergic reactions….” Marks replies to Mogford: “It would be very
helpful if our Office of Vaccines could receive additional details
[redacted] from MHRA [UK Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory
Agency] under the terms of our mutual confidentiality agreement.” Mogford
later replies, “… attached are [redacted] hope that’s helpful in the
meantime. If I can just remind – information shared under our
confidentiality agreement.”
Marion Gruber, then head of the Office of Vaccines Research and Review
(OVRR), replies to Mogford, “Thank you so much for this information. Our
emails crossed. If possible, would be available for a t-con
[teleconference] today?” The exchange concludes with OVRR Deputy Director
Phil Krause advising UK Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency
official Jamie Convisser, “Your summary is correct. I’m cc:ing Amanda
Cohn at CDC who can provide the most up-to-date details about [redacted].
Obviously, [redacted], not all of this is public so please hold these
details confidential.” Cohn then replies to Mogford, and includes an
attachment titled “Anaphylaxis CLARK Dec 19 2020 Final”. She writes,
“I am adding my colleagues Tom Clark and Stacey Martin, we are happy to
share more information with you. Attached are slides that were presented at
a public meeting on Saturday. [Redacted].”
The FDA issued its Emergency Use
Authorization for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID vaccine for individuals 16
years of age and older on December 11, 2020.
On May 14, 2021, the CDC’s Dr. Amanda Cohn emailed Office of
Vaccines Research and Review Director Marion Gruber and Center for
Biologics Evaluation and Research Director Peter Marks with the subject
line “Coadministration of COVID-19 Vaccines with Other Vaccines During
Pregnancy.”
Gruber writes, “I am fine with this language.” Marks then responds to
Cohn and her CDC colleague, Sarah Mbaeyi, “I can live with this too.
Please let me know if you want to connect about the adverse event issue
later today. Seems like work is still ongoing, but let me know. Thanks.”
Cohn replies, “We have a meeting with Rochelle [presumably CDC Director
Rochelle Walensky] at 3:30 about if we should say anything or wait until we
have more definitive information. I will let you know where we land. I’m
not sure there is a right answer.”
It again took a lawsuit for the Biden administration to hand over, albeit
heavily redacted, information regarding the safety of the COVID vaccines
that the public has every right to know. This disturbing batch of new
documents has uncovered a secret confidentiality agreement tied to COVID
vaccine safety issues and emails that raise new questions about the
vaccines and pregnancy.
We are pursuing challenges against the agency’s redactions under FOIA.
In a previous production from this FOIA lawsuit, we received 1,081 pages of records
from HHS detailing internal discussions about myocarditis and the COVID
vaccine. Other documents detailed adverse “events for which a
contributory effect of the vaccine could not be excluded.”
Through FOIA, we have uncovered a substantial amount of information about
COVID-19 issues:
- HHS records regarding data
Moderna submitted to the FDA on its mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, indicated a
“statistically significant” number of rats were born with skeletal
deformations after their mothers were injected with the vaccine. The
documents also reveal Moderna elected not to conduct a number of standard
pharmacological studies on the laboratory test animals.
- FDA records detailed pressure for COVID-19
vaccine booster approval and use.
- NIH records revealed an FBI
“inquiry” into the NIH’s controversial bat coronavirus grant tied to
the Wuhan Institute of Virology. The records also show National Institute
of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) officials were concerned about
“gain-of-function” research in China’s Wuhan Institute of Virology in
2016. The Fauci agency was also concerned about EcoHealth Alliance’s
lack of compliance with reporting rules and use of gain-of-function
research in the NIH-funded research involving bat coronaviruses in Wuhan,
China.
- HHS records revealed that from 2014 to 2019, $826,277 was given to
the Wuhan Institute of Virology for bat coronavirus research by the
NIAID.
- NIAID records showed that it gave nine China-related
grants to EcoHealth Alliance to research coronavirus emergence in bats
and was the NIH’s top issuer of grants to the Wuhan lab itself. The
records also included an email from the vice director of the Wuhan Lab
asking an NIH official for help finding disinfectants for decontamination
of airtight suits and indoor surfaces.
- HHS records included an “urgent for Dr. Fauci
” email chain, citing ties between the Wuhan
lab and the taxpayer-funded EcoHealth Alliance.
The government emails also reported that the foundation of U.S. billionaire
Bill Gates worked closely with the Chinese government to pave the way for
Chinese-produced medications to be sold outside China and help “raise
China’s voice of governance by placing representatives from China on
important international counsels as high-level commitment from
China.”
- HHS records included a grant application for research involving the
coronavirus that appears to describe “gain-of-function” research involving RNA extractions from bats,
experiments on viruses, attempts to develop a chimeric virus and efforts to
genetically manipulate the full-length bat SARSr-CoV WIV1 strain molecular
clone.
- HHS records showed the State Department and NIAID knew immediately in
January 2020 that China was withholding
COVID data, which was hindering risk assessment and response by public
health officials.
- University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) records showed the
former director of the Galveston National Laboratory at the University of
Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), Dr. James W. Le Duc
warned Chinese researchers at the Wuhan Institute of Virology of potential
investigations into the COVID issue by Congress.
- HHS records regarding biodistribution studies and related data for the
COVID-19 vaccines showed a key component of the vaccines developed by
Pfizer/BioNTech, lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), were found outside the injection
site, mainly the liver, adrenal glands, spleen and ovaries of test
animals, eight to 48 hours after injection.
- Records from the Federal Select Agent Program (FSAP) revealed safety lapses and
violations at U.S. biosafety laboratories that conduct research on
dangerous agents and toxins.
- HHS records included emails between
National Institutes of Health (NIH) then-Director Francis Collins and
Anthony Fauci, the director of National Institute of Allergy and Infectious
Diseases (NIAID), about hydroxychloroquine and COVID-19.
- HHS records showed that NIH officials tailored confidentiality
forms to China’s terms and that the World Health Organization (WHO)
conducted an unreleased, “strictly confidential” COVID-19
epidemiological analysis in January 2020.
- Fauci emails included his
approval of a press release supportive of China’s response to the 2019
novel coronavirus.
Judicial Watch Sues the Defense Department for Using Marines for Biden
Speech Attacking American
It was one of the more bizarre pieces of political theater of our time –
our president, flanked by two marines, standing before a red-drenched
background gave a divisive speech, condemning supporters of President
Trump.
Speaking on September 1, Biden claimed Trump supporters “represent an
extremism that threatens the very foundations of our republic.” Biden was
widely criticized for using the Marines as props during the political speech
in which he also called “MAGA Republicans” a threat to democracy.
The Defense Department isn’t eager to explain itself here, so we are in
court to get the details of this misuse of our military.
We filed our Freedom of Information Ace (FOIA) lawsuit against the
Department of Defense for records about the use of U.S. Marines for
President Joe Biden’s controversial September 1, 2022, campaign speech in
Philadelphia (Judicial Watch vs. U.S.
Department of Defense (No. 1:23-cv-00213)).
We sued after the Department of Defense failed to comply with our October
31, 2022, FOIA request for all communications within the Office of the
Secretary of Defense, Secretary of the Navy, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs,
and Commandant of Marine Corps – and those shared with the White House
Military Office and Office of the President – regarding Marines standing
behind the President during his September 1, 2022, speech in
Philadelphia.
Biden’s infamous “Red Speech,” which included the abuse of our
Marines in its totalitarian imagery, painted a target on Trump and tens of
millions of Americans for political suppression and worse. And, to make
matters worse, the Pentagon is violating federal law by hiding records
about Biden’s misuse of our military in his attempt to intimidate
Americans.
Until next week …
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