Washington, D.C. – Federal authorities are investigating the authenticity of the New York Post’s widely discredited story containing, smoking-gun emails from 2015 between Hunter Biden, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden’s son, and a Burisma Holdings executive. The younger Biden and this Burisma executive (anonymous) seem to be discussing the prospects of a future meeting with Joe Biden.
The Post received a copy of Hunter’s laptop hard drive from Rudy Giuliani, President Trump’s personal attorney. A Post writer (who was so uncomfortable about the story that he or she refused to add their byline) based the story on documents that purport to tie Biden to his son’s business dealings. Giuliani claims to have gained this hard drive from John Paul Mac Isaac, a computer sales and repair shop owner in Delaware.
Suspicions abound that these leaked emails from 2015, right before the presidential election, are part of a concerted Russian disinformation campaign. Reportedly, an unidentified person did slide a damaged laptop allegedly containing compromising Hunter Biden material into Isaac’s store. It defies credibility that the younger Biden, a California resident, traveled to Delaware to have the laptop repaired.
Although Isaac, the shop owner, possesses an $85 payment receipt with Hunter’s signature, the FBI has not yet authenticated this signature. In an email to the Current Affairs Times, FBI officials neither confirmed nor denied the existence of this evidence.
Burisma
Burisma Holdings is the Ukrainian energy firm that was a focal point of Trump’s impeachment trial over the company’s connection to the Bidens. In 2012, Viktor Pshonka, the Ukrainian attorney general, began investigating Burisma’s owner, Mykola Zlochevsky, over allegations of money laundering, tax evasion, and corruption.
In 2014 Biden was tasked by President Obama with overseeing U.S. political activities in Ukraine while advocating for anti-corruption reforms in the country’s energy sector. Joe Biden’s son joined Burisma as a nonexecutive and dormant board member. No links have been established between the Bidens and Zlochevsky’s prosecution.
Purportedly, Trump is still pressuring leaders in Ukraine into digging dirt on the Bidens in time for the upcoming U.S. presidential election in return for political favors. The Bidens deny any wrongdoings. Meanwhile, the Russians are rumored to be conducting ongoing phishing campaigns to sabotage the Biden campaign.
Russian Phishing
Russian military hackers have allegedly been hacking into Burisma’s servers. It is not yet clear what they are looking for but experts claim that the goal is to find embarrassing material on the Bidens. In 2016, Russian hackers dumped troves of emails from the Democrats onto the internet. This eventually sabotaged Hillary Clinton’s campaign. Trump has always seen these emails as an opportunity to fuel accusations of Clinton’s corruption.
Area 1 is an American cyber-security firm responsible for blocking hacking attacks. The firm maintains a network of sensors on web servers worldwide allowing them to block phishing attacks. Area 1’s spokeswoman, Elaine Dzub, sent Current Affairs Times an official Area 1 Expert report delivered to the White House, detailing this Russian intelligence-backed phishing campaign. The report spells out how the email accounts of employees at Burisma are compromised by Russian hackers enabling them to alter documents.
Russian intelligence Conspiracy?
More than 50 former U.S. intelligence veterans signed onto a letter on Monday, outlining the possibility that the revealing email disclosure is part of a Russian disinformation operation. Additionally, the former Trump administration signatories include Russ Travers, former Acting Director of the National Security Agency (NSA), and Cynthia Strand, former CIA Deputy Assistant Director for global issues. While these signatories did not produce any evidence of the alleged disinformation, their national security experience is making them deeply suspicious of the Russian government’s foul play.
How Russian intelligence may be using Giuliani
Rudy Giuliani’s access to President Trump, zeal to obtain dirt on the Bidens, and refusal to acknowledge Russian participation are creating suspicion among Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officers that Giuliani is being used by the Russians. Even though the CIA recently warned the White House about this possibility, the White House appears to be looking the other way.
The National Counterintelligence and Security Center, a federal agency that leads national counterintelligence for the U.S. government, is again warning that Russia has been working with Ukrainian lawmaker Andriy Derkach on sabotaging the Biden campaign. According to the U.S, Treasury, Derkach has engaged in and been complicit in foreign interference in an attempt to undermine the upcoming presidential elections. Derkach is currently under sanction from the U.S. Treasury for acting as a Russian agent and he has reportedly met with Giuliani.
Zach Isakowitz, Director of Public Affairs for the Treasury Department, reiterated to Current Affairs Times, the department’s prior statement confirming Derkach as “an active Russian agent for over a decade, maintaining close connections with the Russian intelligence services.” Is Trump fueling Russian foul play amid the presidential election?
Thumbnail Credits: Nick Wass/AP File
Sources:
- FBI Media Office
- Area 1 Media Reports
- The U.S Treasury Media Office
- The U.S Treasury Press Releases
Afia is a lawyer, journalist, an avid traveler, an avid reader, a foodie, and an amateur singer. She enjoys instrumental music with her glass of wine ?
