Posted on 12/04/2022 1:37:35 PM PST by george76
Judicial Watch announced today that the United States Secret Service has repeatedly changed its position about whether it is in possession of records related to the investigation of Hunter Biden’s gun, reportedly disposed of in a dumpster in Delaware. The Secret Service now says it now located over 100 records, totaling over 400 pages and will complete its initial processing of the records by January 9, 2023.
Judicial Watch is investigating whether and how the Secret Service intervened for Hunter Biden in an incident involving a gun allegedly owned by him. In September, Judicial Watch 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)).
The Secret Service initially responded to Judicial Watch’s FOIA request on April 2, 2021 and stated 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.
But then, on November 10, 2022, the Secret Service informed the District Court that it has run supplemental searches and has located over 100 records, totaling over 400 pages, potentially responsive to Judicial Watch’s request.
The Secret Service also told the court that it would complete its initial processing of all potentially responsive records by January 9, 2023, and send records out for any necessary consultations with other Executive Branch entities by that date. All other non-exempt, responsive records are to be produced to Judicial Watch by January 9.
“The Secret Service’s changing story on records raises additional questions about its role in the Hunter Biden gun incident. One thing is clear, Judicial Watch’s persistence means the public may get records that the Secret Service suggested didn’t exist,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton.
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.
In October 2022, Judicial Watch 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, Judicial Watch 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 fundraising scandal 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.
Judicial Watch is 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.
It almost seems like the Federal Gov’t is protecting Hunter Biden.
They just need one document, totaling 6 pages. It is ATF Form 4473, signed by Hunter, for the felonious purchase of said handgun, and is either held on record with the FFL who sold the gun, or in the possession of the ATF.
Pretty simple, unless someone is trying to destroy or hide evidence of a crime.
This is a lot of energy being spent on something that will be going nowhere.
They iz dooin’ d dance!
Isn’t that a crime?
Lots of curious things have happened since Election Day 2020! Lots of curious things will continue to happen while the Rutabaga In Chief remains in office.
DOJ, IRS, Secret Service - all of them are protecting the demoncraps.
Disgraceful
Form 4473 asks if the buyer uses illegal drugs. Hunter Biden would have had to lie on the form in order to buy a gun.
Like you, I’m not expecting much to come of it.
The form will have been filled out by hand by Hunter Biden, and signed and dated by Hunter Biden. There is a warning on the form that it is a Federal felony to lie.
It will be fun watching liberals and the liberal press try to spin the fact Hunter Biden committed a Federal felony by lying on the form.
It will be fun watching the BATF and the FBI explain why they haven’t prosecuted Hunter Biden for committing a felony when he lied on the form.
Almost seems like you are certainly correct.
“Disgraceful”
Yep and what is really funny is that the republicans actually think these agencies will help and protect them when the time comes.
The complete government is corrupt, there are no good guys anymore. Any future republican President that thinks the secret service will protect him or her had better stay home.
The main reason government agencies win all their cases in court is because they lie to the other party and to the Court. And also because they hide evidence that shows their culpability in cases such as this. Even if caught, they shrug their shoulders as if to say, “So what?”, because they know they will suffer no repercussions for their actions. There have been plenty of government attorneys who should have been disbarred for their actions, but all are still practicing and bringing in the big bucks.
Too bad they are protecting him.
There’s an old saying that says to be a good liar you have to have a good memory. A changing story is indicia of a lie being told.
There’s an old saying that says to be a good liar you have to have a good memory. A changing story is indicia of a lie being told.
What an irresponsible,cynical,comment! Our public servants want nothing but to see hard working,law abiding,citizens flourish!
Just trying to save “democracy” for the Swamp and the Deep State ....../s
Where Have Hunter Biden and Joe’s Brothers Traveled? Secret Service protection
included, most likely means someone in Congress could track down these travel records.
——————————————————————————
But wait.....the Secret Service says they “lost”” the Biden travel records?
So where are the lawfully required manifests?
-—49 U.S. Code § 44909 - Passenger manifests
U.S. Code
(a)Air Carrier Requirements.—
(1)The Secretary of Transportation shall require each air carrier to provide a passenger manifest for a flight to an appropriate representative of the Secretary of State—
(A)not later than one hour after that carrier is notified of an aviation disaster outside the United States involving that flight; or
(B)if it is not technologically feasible or reasonable to comply with clause (A) of this paragraph, then as expeditiously as possible, but not later than 3 hours after the carrier is so notified.
(2)The passenger manifest should include the following information:
(A)the full name of each passenger.
(B)the passport number of each passenger, if required for travel.
(C)the name and telephone number of a contact for each passenger.
(3)In carrying out this subsection, the Secretary of Transportation shall consider the necessity and feasibility of requiring air carriers to collect passenger manifest information as a condition for passengers boarding a flight of the carrier.
(b)Foreign Air Carrier Requirements.—
The Secretary of Transportation shall consider imposing a requirement on foreign air carriers comparable to that imposed on air carriers under subsection (a)(1) and (2) of this section.
0(c)Flights in Foreign Air Transportation to the United States.—
(1)In general.—
Each air carrier and foreign air carrier operating a passenger flight in foreign air transportation to the United States shall provide to the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection by electronic transmission a passenger and crew manifest containing the information specified in paragraph
(2). Carriers may use the advanced passenger information system established under section 431 of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1431) to provide the information required by the preceding sentence.
(2)Information.—A passenger and crew manifest for a flight required under paragraph (1) shall contain the following information:
(A)The full name of each passenger and crew member.
(B)The date of birth and citizenship of each passenger and crew member.
(C)The sex of each passenger and crew member.
(D)The passport number and country of issuance of each passenger and crew member if required for travel.
(E)The United States visa number or resident alien card number of each passenger and crew member, as applicable.
(F)Such other information as the Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration, in consultation with the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, determines is reasonably necessary to ensure aviation safety.
(3)Passenger name records.—
The carriers shall make passenger name record information available to the Customs Service upon request.
(4)Transmission of manifest.—
Subject to paragraphs (5) and (6), a passenger and crew manifest required for a flight under paragraph (1) shall be transmitted to the Customs Service in advance of the aircraft landing in the United States in such manner, time, and form as the Customs Service prescribes.
(5)Transmission of manifests to other federal agencies.—
Upon request, information provided to the Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration or the Customs Service under this subsection may be shared with other Federal agencies for the purpose of protecting national security.
(6)Prescreening international passengers.—
(A)In general.—
The Secretary of Homeland Security, or the designee of the Secretary, shall issue a notice of proposed rulemaking that will allow the Department of Homeland Security to compare passenger information for any international flight to or from the United States against the consolidated and integrated terrorist watchlist maintained by the Federal Government before departure of the flight.
(B)Appeal procedures.—
(i)In general.—
The Secretary of Homeland Security shall establish a timely and fair process for individuals identified as a threat under subparagraph (A) to appeal to the Department of Homeland Security the determination and correct any erroneous information.
(ii)Records.—
The process shall include the establishment of a method by which the Secretary of Homeland Security will be able to maintain a record of air passengers and other individuals who have been misidentified and have corrected erroneous information.
To prevent repeated delays of misidentified passengers and other individuals, the Department of Homeland Security record shall contain information determined by the Secretary of Homeland Security to authenticate the identity of such a passenger or individual.
(Pub. L. 103–272, § 1(e), July 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 1211; Pub. L. 106–181, title VII, § 718, Apr. 5, 2000, 114 Stat. 163; Pub. L. 107–71, title I, § 115, Nov. 19, 2001, 115 Stat. 623; Pub. L. 108–458, title IV, § 4012(a)(2), Dec. 17, 2004, 118 Stat. 3717; Pub. L. 114–125, title VIII, § 802(d)(2), Feb. 24, 2016, 130 Stat. 210; Pub. L. 115–254, div. K, title I, § 1991(d)(8), Oct. 5, 2018, 132 Stat. 3633.)
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