Erika Jensen, an FBI agent, verified the legitimacy of Hunter Biden’s notorious laptop during the second day of his firearms trial on Tuesday. Emma-Jo Morris of Breitbart News, formerly of the New York Post, initially broke the “laptop from hell” story in October 2020. The mainstream media quickly labeled it as “Russian disinformation.”
Although the Department of Justice had previously confirmed its authenticity in legal documents, prosecutors requested Jensen to validate its authenticity before the jury due to its crucial role as evidence. The laptop contains Whatsapp messages, iMessages, and text messages relevant to the case. The DOJ confirmed that the laptop belonged to Hunter by establishing that he had left it at a computer store and that its contents matched what authorities had obtained through a search warrant of Hunter’s iCloud.
During the court proceedings, Jensen examined the laptop, which was sealed in an evidence bag, and detailed the FBI’s authentication process. When Jensen took hold of the device, Melissa Cohen-Biden, Hunter’s wife, shook her head and conversed with Hollywood lawyer Kevin Morris, who was seated beside her, according to court reporters.
CNN reported:
“This is the laptop that was recovered from the computer store,” she [Jensen] said. When asked how she was able to confirm the laptop’s authenticity, Jensen said the serial number on the back of the laptop matches the serial number provided in Apple Inc.’s subpoena response for records. Jensen appeared to be making a point of looking at the jury while she explained the concept of iCloud data and how the FBI obtains the data via warrants. The jurors appeared engaged — a few were taking notes, but most simply listened. Hunter was wearing glasses and appeared to be taking notes when not whispering with his lawyers.”
The witness informed the jury that a total of 18,000 pages of messages, photos, and videos were found across Hunter’s laptop, phone, and tablet, as reported by NBC News. Out of these, only 75 pages are pertinent to the trial.
Following the laptop story’s disclosure by the New York Post in 2020, CNN journalist Natasha Bertrand authored a now discredited Politico article that relied on “dozens of former intel officials” to promote a false and misleading narrative regarding the origins of Hunter’s laptop.
It took the mainstream media more than a year to acknowledge the inaccuracy of the story. The Washington Post conceded in March 2022 that Hunter’s laptop contains “authentic communications that can be verified,” after neglecting the story for 532 days. CNN also acknowledged the authenticity of Hunter’s “laptop from hell” over 500 days after the initial story surfaced on October 24, 2020 — notably labeling it as “Russian disinformation” and “fabricated” at the time.
