President Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden filed a countersuit against the computer repair shop owner who he claims leaked the contents of his laptop, sparking an unending firestorm among Republicans.
Mr Biden filed a suit against John Paul Mac Isaac in the U.S. District Court in Delaware, The Washington Post reported. The younger Mr Biden’s laptop became a major point of contention after Twitter prevented sharing a story by The New York Post about the laptop since some worried it had the markings of Russian disinformation.
The attorneys for Mr Biden allege that Mr Mac Isaac violated Mr Biden’s privacy and that Mr Mac Isaac helped copy and spread personal information on the laptop for his own gain.
The lawsuit says Mr Biden wants any copy of his data as well as monetary compensation for Mr Mac Isaac’s “willful, wanton and reckless conduct” and reimbursement for attorney’s fees.
“As a result of Mac Isaac’s unlawful agreement and his conspiracy with others, Mr. Biden’s personal data was made available to third parties and then ultimately to the public at large, which is highly offensive, causing harm to Mr. Biden and his reputation,” the lawsuit states. “The object of invading Mr. Biden’s privacy and disseminating his data was not for any legitimate purpose but to cause harm and embarrassment to Mr. Biden.”
Mr Mac Isaac had previously sued Mr Biden last year and alleged that Mr Biden defamed him, since Mr Mac Isaac alleges that the laptop became his property when Mr Biden abandoned it in the shop.
The son of the president has been under federal investigation since 2018 for tax payments and the House Republican Majority has made him a focus of their probes since they took power in January.
Mr Biden’s legal team also hope to depose Guo Wengui, an ally of former Trump adviser Steve Bannon, who was allegedly involved in spreading the story about Mr Biden’s laptop. Federal authorities arrested Mr Guo earlier this week for an alleged fraud scheme.
