House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan (R-OH) released a devastating thread on X (formerly Twitter) Monday claiming an FBI agent who testified about the agency’s involvement with Hunter Biden’s laptop lied under oath to put distance between the Bureau and efforts to discredit the information gleaned from its discovery.
Rep. Jordan’s announcement comes as part of the Facebook Files, an effort by House Republicans to disclose the multitude of ways in which federal authorities have pressured social media companies to silence critics and oppress the free flow of information. New documents obtained by the Judiciary Committee show that the FBI previously met with Big Tech companies in the wake of the laptop’s discovery and sought to suppress news about it on major social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.
Elvis Chan, a Special Agent with the FBI, served as the “main conduit” between Big Tech and the FBI’s Foreign Influence Task Force in 2016, according to Jordan. Chan, in addition to Task Force Chief Laura Dehmlow, originally confirmed the authenticity of the laptop to Twitter before changing course and telling Facebook and other social media companies “no comment.” The answer led Facebook, and eventually Twitter, to suppress the sharing of news stories about Hunter’s laptop.
When Twitter asked if the laptop was real, an FBI agent said “yes.” But a second FBI agent—a lawyer—jumped in, cut him off, and said, “no further comment.”
Read the transcript for yourself: pic.twitter.com/2GxBWVOk7v
— Rep. Jim Jordan (@Jim_Jordan) August 7, 2023
Last November, Chan testified during a deposition that he was not part of any meeting between the FBI and social media companies where Hunter Biden was discussed. He also claimed there was never any discussion between the FBI and social media companies about Hunter Biden’s laptop.
According to Rep. Jordan, Chan and Dehmlow met with Facebook just one day after the laptop’s discovery.
COMPLETELY FALSE.
The Committee has recently obtained an internal Facebook document PROVING that Agent Chan had a secret “follow up” call with Facebook about the Hunter Biden laptop story on October 15, just one day after the @nypost story and the first Facebook meeting! pic.twitter.com/fPkUQzDIy4
— Rep. Jim Jordan (@Jim_Jordan) August 7, 2023
In the weeks that followed the discovery, the campaign for then-candidate Joe Biden worked to compile a list of 51 former intelligence officials who signed an open letter stating Hunter Biden’s laptop was the product of a Russian disinformation campaign. The effort is believed to have been led by Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, who has denied his involvement.
Since pleading guilty to charges of tax fraud and illegal gun possession, Hunter Biden and his laptop have provided Republicans with a treasure trove of documents that implicate fellow family members and perhaps even President Biden. A separate investigation by the Oversight Committees continues to explore bank documents showing millions of dollars collected by Hunter Biden and business associates while lobbying on behalf of foreign companies. President Biden has steadfastly denied his involvement or sanctioning of illegal activities by his son.