Late Monday, CBS’s Catherine Herridge, FoxNews.com’s Kelly Laco, and Washington Examiner’s Jerry Dunleavy reported that FBI whistleblowers had told Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) of alleged meddling in the Hunter Biden investigation, claiming evidence against Hunter was being intentionally discounted as disinformation.
Of course the broadcast networks ABC, CBS, and NBC, as well as their fellow liberals at CNN and MSNBC, ignored this on their Monday evening and Tuesday morning news programs.
Dunleavy was first to report on Grassley revealing the information in a letter to FBI Director Chris Wray and Attorney General Merrick Garland (click “expand”):
The FBI’s investigation into Hunter Biden wrongly labeled verified evidence as “disinformation,” agency whistleblowers claimed.
Agents investigating President Joe Biden's son "opened an assessment which was used by an FBI headquarters team to improperly discredit negative Hunter Biden information as disinformation and caused investigative activity to cease," according to Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA). Grassley revealed the claim after his office received "a significant number of protected communications from highly credible whistleblowers" about the investigation. The Republican claimed one of the communications shows "verified and verifiable derogatory information on Hunter Biden was falsely labeled as disinformation."
FBI supervisory intelligence agent Brian Auten opened in August 2020 the assessment that was later used by the agency, according to the disclosures. One of the whistleblowers claimed the FBI assistant special agent in charge of the Washington field office, Timothy Thibault, shut down a line of inquiry into Hunter Biden in October 2020 despite some of the details being known to be true at the time.
A whistleblower also said Thibault “ordered closed” an “avenue of additional derogatory Hunter Biden reporting," according to Grassley, even though “all of the reporting was either verified or verifiable via criminal search warrants.”
Laco honed in on how Grassley didn’t mince words as, also in the letter, he demanded explanations for why the DOJ and FBI “pursued ‘politically charged investigations’ related to the Trump campaign while suppressing key details related to the Hunter Biden probe.”
Grassley’s revelations also made it onto FNC’s Fox & Friends First, starting with Congressman James Comer (R-KY) noting that he believes the DOJ has “realize[d] that they can no longer stall on this” with the whistleblowers being proof that “[t]he dam has broken.”
Later in the show, Fox News Digital’s Brooke Singman broke it all down (click “expand”):
Highly credible whistle-blowers have come forward to Republican Senator Chuck Grassley alleging a widespread effort within the FBI to downplay and discredit negative information about Hunter Biden. And that’s according to a scathing letter Grassley wrote to FBI Director Christopher Wray and Attorney General Merrick Garland.
He writes, “The allegations provided to his office indicate that there was a scheme in place among certain FBI officials to undermine derogatory information connected to Hunter Biden by falsely suggesting it was disinformation.” Grassley zeros in on one particular player, FBI agent Timothy Thibault, who he claims may have improperly swayed the criminal investigation into the President's son. Grassley writes that “the information” he has “received reveals that the political partisanship impacted his official decision-making on sensitive public corruption investigations.”
As for Herridge, her 734-word piece on CBSNews.com was all the network cared to give to the story.
“‘Highly credible’ whistleblowers have come forward to a senior Senate Republican alleging a widespread effort within the FBI to downplay or discredit negative information about President Biden's son, Hunter Biden, according to letters reviewed by CBS News,” she said.
Instead, CBS Mornings had a full segment about a documentary concerning the plight of pregnant Black women that claimed the medical system is racist and that a Black woman who’s pregnant is just as in danger as a Black man being stopped by police.
ABC’s Good Morning America was doing its best to stay away from real news and instead touted stories such as actress Alicia Silverstone sharing a bed with her 11-year-old son. And on NBC’s Today, the peacock network fretted the discontinuation of the Choco Taco.
To see the relevant FNC transcript from July 26, click “expand.”
FNC’s Fox & Friends First
July 26, 2022
4:09 a.m. Eastern[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Rep. Comer Predicts DOJ to Act on Hunter Biden]
CONGRESSMAN JAMES COMER (R-KY): Everyday, it seems like another video comes out, another tape comes out that would confirm that — that Hunter Biden has broken many, many laws. And I think the Department of Justice realizes that they can no longer stall on this. I think you are starting to see people, the FBI come forward to. We’re having whistle-blowers on the Oversight Committee come forward in the administration. The dam has broken with respect to Hunter Biden and I believe the Department of Justice is going to have to act in the next 60 days.
(....)
4:34 a.m. Eastern
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Protecting Hunter?]
CARLEY SHIMKUS: Senator Chuck Grassley is pressing the Justice Department and FBI for transparency as he seeks answers about the Hunter Biden investigation.
TODD PIRO: And the ranking member and Senate Judiciary Committee said he has gotten tips that the agencies are downplaying and suppressing wrongdoing by the president's son. Brooke Singman has all the details. Tell us more, Brooke.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: GOP Presses for Transparency in Hunter Biden Probe]
BROOKE SINGMAN: Hey, good morning, guys. That's right. Highly credible whistle-blowers have come forward to Republican Senator Chuck Grassley alleging a widespread effort within the FBI to downplay and discredit negative information about Hunter Biden. And that’s according to a scathing letter Grassley wrote to FBI Director Christopher Wray and Attorney General Merrick Garland.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Grassley: Whistleblowers Say FBI Covers for Hunter]
He writes, “The allegations provided to his office indicate that there was a scheme in place among certain FBI officials to undermine derogatory information connected to Hunter Biden by falsely suggesting it was disinformation.” Grassley zeros in on one particular player, FBI agent Timothy Thibault, who he claims may have improperly swayed the criminal investigation into the President's son. Grassley writes that “the information” he has “received reveals that the political partisanship impacted his official decision-making on sensitive public corruption investigations.”
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Grassley Calls Out Justice Dept Double Standard]
One of those investigations reportedly being a newly open probe into the Trump administration, which Grassley believes is driven by partisan politics. Constitutional law expert Jonathan Turley says the appointment of a special counsel in Hunter's case would eliminate potential conflicts of interest. Listen.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Turley: “Special Counsel Needs to Be Appointed]
JONATHAN TURLEY [on FNC’s America’s Newsroom, 07/25/22]: This is really an example — or rather, textbook example of why special counsels need to be appointed in these cases. [SCREEN WIPE] Why haven't they interviewed the President, who is referred to in many emails as the big guy? [SCREEN WIPE] The special counsel would just by being independent resolve some of these questions.
SINGMAN: Grassley is requesting all documents pertaining to the Hunter Biden investigation by August 8th. Carley, Todd.
PIRO: Hmmm. Brooke, thank you very much.
