Hunter Biden lawyers urge probes of Trump allies, demand Tucker Carlson retract reporting
Lawyers representing Hunter Biden are urging federal and state investigations into several allies of former President Donald Trump, including Rudy Giuliani, alleging they unlawfully disseminated personal data used to attack his father, President Joe Biden.
The action by Biden's attorneys, in letters to the Justice Department, the Internal Revenue Service and the Delaware Attorney General's Office, represent an aggressive offensive as House Republicans are poised to launch inquiries into the Biden family.
In a separate letter to Fox News and personality Tucker Carlson, attorney Bryan Sullivan demanded that the network retract reporting from a broadcast last month or face a possible defamation lawsuit.
Get live updates on what's happening in politics: The latest on the White House, Congress and other politics news
Sullivan referred to "false and defamatory" statements about Hunter Biden making rent payments to his father "in what Mr. Carlson implied was essentially a money laundering scheme" and separate suggestions that Biden had unauthorized access to classified documents while at the president's residence.
The letter to the Justice Department asserted that a Delaware computer repairman, John Paul Mac Isaac worked with Giuliani and other Trump allies during the 2020 presidential campaign "to weaponize Mr. Biden’s personal computer data against his father."
Mac Isaac had said that Hunter Biden dropped off a laptop for repair at his Wilmington shop in 2019.
Biden attorney Abbe Lowell wrote that Mac Isaac's actions ultimately assisted in the transfer of Biden’s personal data to the New York Post, which reported on the laptop's contents weeks before the 2020 election.
Biden promised to address hate crime reporting: 20 months later, here's what's been done.
"This failed dirty political trick directly resulted in the exposure, exploitation, and manipulation of Mr. Biden’s private and personal information," Lowell wrote to Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen, urging an inquiry into the "manipulation" of the Biden data.
Lowell said the letters are not meant to "confirm Mac Isaac’s or others’ versions of a so-called laptop."
"They address their conduct of seeking, manipulating and disseminating what they allege to be Mr. Biden’s personal data, wherever they claim to have gotten it," he said.
From office to beach house: A complete timeline of the investigation into Joe Biden classified documents
The attorneys' requests come as a federal investigation into Hunter Biden's taxes continues in Delaware.
The White House declined comment, referring questions to Hunter Biden's personal attorneys.
The Justice Department also declined to comment. Fox News did not immediately respond to inquiries.
Mac Isaac's attorney, Brian Della Rocca, said he was "evaluating the false claims in the letter and will comment further at a later time."
"For now, I am simply pointing out these letters seem to be...a way to redirect attention away from his own activities, and... a Biden attempt to intimidate honest, ordinary citizen through the use of a high-priced lawyer and political consultants," Della Rocca said in written response. "Thankfully, I am confident that the federal and state authorities are smart enough to see that."
House Republicans focus on Hunter Biden: Biden family hearings to begin Feb. 8 as House GOP probes Twitter, Hunter Biden laptop
Biden's GOP antagonists: Biden’s most vocal Republican antagonists emerge from the sidelines – with subpoena power
Contributing: Maureen Groppe
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hunter Biden lawyers urge probes of Donald Trump allies over laptop
