Mr. Biden’s lawyers have not yet filed a lawsuit against Fox News, but have indicated that they may do so in the future.
Attorneys representing Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden, have informed Fox News of an upcoming lawsuit over allegations that the network conspired to defame Hunter Biden and unlawfully published his nude photos.
A letter dated April 23 from Tina Glandian, an attorney for Mr. Biden, states, “We are litigation counsel to Robert Hunter Biden (‘Hunter’ or ‘Mr. Biden’) in his claims against Fox News Channel and Fox News Digital (collectively ‘FOX’), as well as other joint tortfeasors, arising out of, among other things, their conspiracy and subsequent actions to defame Hunter Biden and paint him in a false light, the unlicensed commercial exploitation of his image, name, and likeness, and the unlawful publication of hacked intimate images of him.”
The law firm Geragos & Geragos, representing Mr. Biden in this case, provided NTD News with a copy of the April 23 letter.
Bribery Allegations
The legal notice demands that Fox News issue retractions and corrections regarding its coverage of debunked bribery allegations involving Hunter Biden. The letter accuses Fox News of engaging in politically motivated attacks on President Biden and his family by reporting on allegations of a $5 million payment to Hunter Biden and his family by a foreign national in exchange for a policy outcome.
Congressional Republicans have raised questions about Hunter Biden’s involvement in various foreign business dealings, including his role on the board of Ukrainian gas company Burisma Holdings. The $5 million bribery claim stemmed from a report by an FBI informant obtained by House Republicans and released last year. In February, the U.S. Department of Justice identified the source of the allegation as Alexander Smirnov and charged him with fabricating the claim.
The April 23 letter from Mr. Biden’s lawyers asserts that despite knowing the bribery allegation was unverified and dubious, Fox News repeatedly reported it as credible. The letter criticizes Fox News for doubling down on the allegation even after it was debunked and using the indictment of Smirnov to suggest a deeper conspiracy.
Mr. Biden’s lawyers have not yet filed a lawsuit against Fox News, but have indicated that they may do so in the future.
“In the interim, given that the bribery allegations have been confirmed to be false, we hereby demand that FOX take immediate steps to update its readers and viewers that the source of these allegations has been federally indicted for fabricating the allegations,” the letter states.
The letter also addresses the publication of nude and intimate photos of Hunter Biden by Fox News, which were allegedly obtained from a laptop he left at a Delaware computer repair shop. The photos have been circulated by Fox News across its various network properties.
Fox Nation, a digital streaming platform owned by Fox, developed a six-part series that featured photos in a mock trial setting depicting a potential trial involving Hunter Biden. Hunter Biden’s legal team argues that the series was created for trade and advertising purposes, exploiting his name and likeness for Fox’s commercial gain without his consent.
In 2022, Mr. Mac Isaac filed a lawsuit against Hunter Biden, accusing him of defamation during a televised interview. Biden suggested that a laptop may have been stolen from him or hacked, leading to the release of sensitive information. Hunter Biden countersued Mr. Mac Isaac, claiming that he had no right to access or view any of his data without permission.
Mr. Mac Isaac maintains that Hunter Biden signed a waiver stating that he had 90 days to retrieve his laptop before it would be considered abandoned property. However, Hunter Biden argues that the terms of the waiver were not valid under Delaware state law.
Additionally, Hunter Biden has filed lawsuits against Rudy Giuliani, Robert Costello, and Garrett Ziegler, alleging violations of computer fraud laws and data tampering related to the laptop controversy. Fox News reported on Biden’s lawsuit against Ziegler, with a demand letter stating that Fox was aware the laptop materials were obtained unlawfully and that Biden held the copyright to the content.
CNN reported that Fox Nation removed the six-part mock trial series featuring Hunter Biden’s photos following concerns raised about the content. A spokesperson for Fox News Media stated that they are reviewing the issues and have temporarily taken down the series as a precaution.
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