Newly released chat logs reveal that the FBI silenced an employee who attempted to confirm to Twitter that the Hunter Biden laptop story was legitimate on the day it was published. On October 14, 2020, the same day The New York Post first reported on Hunter Biden’s laptop, the FBI instructed employees, “do not discuss [the] Biden matter,” according to chat logs released by the House Judiciary Committee. The logs also indicate that an analyst who confirmed the laptop’s authenticity to Twitter during a meeting was subsequently subjected to a “gag order” and reprimanded by FBI officials.

Laura Dehmlow, an FBI official with the bureau’s foreign influence task force, previously testified that during the call with Twitter, an analyst confirmed the laptop was real before an FBI attorney stated the bureau would not comment further. The chat logs show internal discussions within the FBI on how to handle the situation, with messages reiterating the directive not to discuss the laptop.

Following the meeting, the analyst was “admonished” for speaking up, and one FBI staffer complained that the analyst “won’t [sic] shut up” as instructed. The FBI declined to comment on the matter. The bureau had already verified the laptop in late 2019 by cross-referencing the device’s serial number with Biden’s iCloud storage, according to FBI Special Agent Erica Jensen’s testimony during Hunter Biden’s gun trial last year. Federal agents obtained data from the laptop after securing a search warrant as part of an ongoing criminal investigation into Biden’s tax affairs.

IRS whistleblower Gary Shapley provided a similar account to Congress in 2023, alleging misconduct by IRS and DOJ officials in the investigation. Independent journalists Catherine Herridge and Michael Shellenberger first reported on the chat logs. Herridge has claimed that she was prevented from reporting on the laptop ahead of the 2020 election during her tenure at CBS News. Both Twitter and Facebook censored The New York Post’s reporting on the laptop after the FBI and other government agencies spent nearly a year preparing social media platforms to suppress the story.

Attorney General Pam Bondi later disbanded the foreign influence task force, which had played a role in coordinating content moderation efforts. House Republicans on the Judiciary Committee and the Weaponization Subcommittee have been investigating the suppression of the laptop story and other instances of political censorship.

Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) has been vocal in opposing social media companies working with the government to restrict certain viewpoints. Last year, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg acknowledged that Facebook was wrong to suppress the Post’s reporting and criticized the Biden administration for pressuring the platform to censor certain discussions related to COVID-19.

Twitter, now rebranded as X, was acquired by Elon Musk in late 2022. Following the acquisition, Musk authorized the release of the “Twitter Files,” which detailed how company executives decided to censor the laptop story and limit the reach of conservative accounts. In December, then-President Joe Biden pardoned his son before his sentencing for federal gun and tax charges. Hunter Biden had been convicted on gun-related charges in Delaware and pleaded guilty to tax violations in California.

Hunter Biden’s foreign business dealings, along with the IRS whistleblower allegations, were central to the House GOP’s impeachment inquiry into Joe Biden. The investigation uncovered over $27 million in payments from foreign sources to Hunter Biden and his associates during and after Joe Biden’s tenure as vice president.

The inquiry also documented instances where Joe Biden met with his son’s business partners and joined them on speakerphone approximately 20 times. The Trump administration recently promoted Shapley and IRS whistleblower Joseph Ziegler to senior adviser positions after they faced alleged retaliation within the IRS.

Additionally, former President Trump granted clemency to two of Hunter Biden’s business associates, Devon Archer and Jason Galanis, both of whom testified during the impeachment proceedings.

SOURCE: NATIONAL REVIEW

The Idaho Legislature has passed a bill allowing the death penalty for adults convicted of sexually abusing children age 12 and younger. House Bill 380 now heads to Gov. Brad Little for final consideration.

The bill, cosponsored by Rep. Bruce Skaug, R-Nampa, and House Assistant Majority Leader Josh Tanner, R-Eagle, introduces a new charge: aggravated lewd conduct with children age 12 and younger, which would be eligible for the death penalty. It also establishes mandatory minimum prison sentences for aggravated lewd conduct with minors under age 16 that do not qualify for the death penalty.

The bill passed the Senate on a 30-5 vote, with opposition from three Democrats and two Republicans. The House had previously approved it unanimously, 63-0, with seven members absent. Once transmitted to Gov. Little, he will have five days, excluding Sundays, to either sign the bill into law, allow it to become law without his signature, or veto it. If enacted, the law would take effect July 1.

Supporters Say Bill Sends a Clear Message

Skaug has argued that Idaho has some of the most lenient child rape laws in the country. Sen. Doug Ricks, R-Rexburg, a cosponsor, said the bill ensures severe consequences for the worst offenders.

“Unlike most states, Idaho currently lacks mandatory minimum sentences for these horrific crimes — meaning judges have the discretion to place the worst offenders on probation,” Ricks told the Senate. “This legislation ensures that those who commit the most severe offenses against children face significant consequences, sending a clear message that Idaho will not tolerate the sexual abuse of minors.”

Currently, Idaho law only allows the death penalty for first-degree murder with aggravating circumstances.

Idaho Senate Minority Leader Melissa Wintrow, D-Boise, opposed the bill, stating that while child abuse should carry severe penalties, this bill represents a significant policy shift for the state.

“Unfortunately, I only heard from four sources regarding this bill. And that feels very uncomfortable, when I think we need a vigorous and long debate and discussion,” Wintrow said.

Potential Legal Challenges

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Kennedy v. Louisiana (2008) that imposing the death penalty for child rape is unconstitutional. However, Florida passed a similar law in 2023, followed by Tennessee in 2024.

Anticipating a legal challenge, Skaug told lawmakers he believes the Supreme Court could rule differently today.

“You can say, ‘Well, that’s unconstitutional, Bruce. Why would you bring that?’ Well, it was — according to a 5-4 decision in 2008. I don’t think that would be the case today,” Skaug, an attorney, told lawmakers. “That’s my professional opinion. That’s the opinion of many other attorneys.”

Skaug has stated that the death penalty would be rarely pursued under this bill. Currently, Idaho has nine inmates on death row.

Concerns Over Legal Ramifications

During a Senate Judiciary and Rules Committee hearing, David Martinez of the Idaho Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers testified against the bill, warning that it could apply more broadly than intended.

“The bill doesn’t focus on ‘the worst of the worst,’ could potentially expose victims to decades of reliving trauma, and fails to account for Idaho’s shortage of qualified death penalty defense attorneys,” Martinez said.

The bill lists more than a dozen aggravating factors for seeking the death penalty, and Martinez argued that many cases would qualify under those criteria.

Holly Rebholtz, representing the Idaho Prosecuting Attorneys Association, disagreed, stating that aggravated lewd conduct cases would be rare.

“I don’t think these crimes are going to come into play very often. But when they do, they are the most serious crimes we see. And again, the prosecutors believe that the most serious crimes against children deserve a serious punishment,” Rebholtz testified.

Skaug estimated that, in a worst-case scenario, the bill could lead to two death penalty cases per year, with costs reaching up to $1 million per case.

Opposition From Some Republicans

Sen. Dan Foreman, R-Moscow, a retired police officer and combat veteran, voted against the bill, arguing that society is blurring the line between justice and revenge.

“I see society starting to go down a dangerous road here. Not just with this bill, but in general — where we are starting to equate revenge with justice. And that’s a slippery slope,” Foreman said.

Senate Majority Leader Lori Den Hartog, R-Meridian, countered that the bill is about accountability, not retribution.

“When I look at the types of circumstances that would lead to these charges — and I think about the irreparable and irreversible damage done to a child who then has to live with the consequences of these actions upon them for the rest of their lives — I think this is about accountability and about how we value life,” she said.

Second Attempt at Passing a Similar Bill

This is the second time Skaug and Tanner have introduced a child sex abuse death penalty bill. Last year, their proposal passed the House but never received a hearing in the Senate.

The new bill also establishes mandatory minimum prison sentences for aggravated lewd conduct with minors under 16. The minimum sentence would be 25 years in prison.

Under the bill, lewd conduct includes, but is not limited to, “genital-genital contact, oral-genital contact, anal-genital contact, oral-anal contact, manual-anal contact, or manual-genital contact” when intended to arouse, appeal to, or gratify “lust or passions or sexual desires.”

Gov. Little’s decision on the bill is expected in the coming days.

An FBI agent who was openly critical of the bureau during President Donald Trump’s first term has been arrested and charged with disclosing confidential information.

Johnathan Buma, a veteran agent with 15 years of service, was taken into custody on Monday at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City as he was preparing to board an international flight, according to an arrest affidavit.

Buma allegedly printed approximately 130 classified FBI documents and messages, later sharing them with associates while working on a book about his time at the agency.

“The book draft contained information that BUMA obtained through his position as an FBI Special Agent that relates to the FBI’s efforts and investigations into a foreign country’s weapons of mass destruction (‘WMD’) program,” according to the court document. “On November 2, 2023, BUMA wrote an email to various personal associates assisting him in negotiating a book deal with a publishing company.”

In addition to sharing excerpts of the book containing confidential information on social media, the court documents state that Buma had a history of conflicts with the bureau.

In 2022, he began raising concerns about the FBI’s handling of certain investigations, voicing them to various government agencies, Congress, and media outlets. In a September 2023 interview with Insider, Buma claimed that he was dismissed when he approached a superior about former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani potentially being compromised in a Russian counter-influence operation. However, when he mentioned Hunter Biden’s alleged business dealings with Ukrainian energy company Burisma, his superior was “very interested.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Buma’s attorney for comment.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California stated that Buma was charged with one misdemeanor count of disclosing confidential information and was released on a $100,000 bond.

His case adds to ongoing debates about internal conflicts within the FBI and the handling of politically sensitive investigations.

SOURCE: FOX NEWS