The Laptop From Hell
In April 2019, an unremarkable event quietly kicked off one of the most politically charged controversies in recent memory. Hunter Biden, son of then–former Vice President Joe Biden, dropped off a damaged laptop at a small computer repair shop in Wilmington, Delaware. What appeared to be a routine data recovery request would later become a flashpoint in a national debate over media ethics, foreign influence, tech censorship, and political accountability.
The shop owner, John Paul Mac Isaac, claimed that the laptop was never retrieved and was eventually considered abandoned under the terms of his service agreement. After reviewing the contents, Mac Isaac reported what he believed to be potentially criminal material to the FBI. In December 2019, the FBI obtained the laptop via a federal subpoena, signing a receipt and reportedly cloning the device. But the story largely went silent until the final stretch of the 2020 election.
Months later, in August 2020, Mac Isaac provided a copy of the laptop’s hard drive to Rudy Giuliani’s attorney. Giuliani, in turn, coordinated with former White House strategist Steve Bannon to deliver the material to the New York Post. On October 14, 2020, the Post published its first article alleging Hunter Biden had used his father’s political position to benefit a Ukrainian energy company — based on emails sourced from the laptop.
The document, titled FBI Form FD-597, lists “Hunter Biden” as the subject and includes signatures from both the receiving agents and Mac Isaac. This receipt confirms that the device was officially entered into FBI custody via a federal subpoena, refuting early claims that its origins were dubious or unverifiable. The existence of this paperwork has since been cited by congressional investigators as proof that the FBI was aware of the laptop's contents nearly a year before it became public — raising questions about the agency’s response and whether it shared relevant findings with other federal bodies or election officials.
Now to keep a directory of characters I’ve made a table for that too!
| Name | Role | Affiliation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hunter Biden | Defendant | Private Citizen | Son of President Joe Biden, subject of federal investigation. |
| David C. Weiss | Special Counsel | U.S. Department of Justice | Appointed to lead the DOJ's investigation into Hunter Biden. |
| Derek E. Hines | Assistant Special Counsel | DOJ | Signed the firearm indictment alongside Weiss. |
| Leo J. Wise | Assistant Special Counsel | DOJ | Co-prosecutor handling the financial charges against Hunter Biden. |
| Joe Biden | President of the United States | U.S. Government | Not a target, but politically adjacent as Hunter’s father. |
| IRS Whistleblowers | Witnesses | Internal Revenue Service | Claimed interference in tax-related investigations. |
| James Comer | Chairman, Oversight Committee | U.S. House of Representatives | Leading congressional investigations into Hunter Biden’s finances. |
| Steve Bannon | Commentator / Strategist | War Room / Former WH Advisor | Amplified Hunter Biden laptop story; associated with early distribution. |
| Wall Street Journal | News Organization | Dow Jones & Company | Investigated and published coverage on Hunter Biden’s business dealings and emails. |
| Axios | News Organization | Independent Media | Published explanatory and scoop-driven pieces on the investigations and political implications. |
Below is the receipt from The Mac Shop, dated April 12, 2019, documents the intake of a MacBook Pro laptop for data recovery services. The customer, identified in store records as Hunter Biden, signed an agreement stating that any equipment left unclaimed for more than 90 days would become property of the shop. The receipt includes a description of the issue—“liquid damage, no power”—and notes the attempt to recover data from the internal drive. It also outlines the store’s policy that absolves the owner of liability for lost data or damage incurred during the repair process. This seemingly routine transaction would later become a key piece of evidence in a national political controversy.
Receipt for Work Performed On Hunter Biden’s Laptop,
Almost immediately, the story became mired in controversy. Social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook restricted the article’s circulation, citing concerns over disinformation and hacked materials. Days later, over 50 former U.S. intelligence officials signed a public letter claiming the laptop story bore "the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation" — despite admitting they had no direct evidence. The Biden campaign leaned on that letter to rebut the claims during the final presidential debate.
| Date | Location | Event | Key Figures |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 12, 2019 | Wilmington, DE | Hunter Biden drops off three laptops at Mac Isaac’s repair shop. One is left for data recovery. | Hunter Biden, John Paul Mac Isaac |
| May–Oct 2019 | Mac Shop | Mac Isaac recovers data. Attempts to contact Hunter Biden fail. Contract specifies abandonment after 90 days. | Mac Isaac |
| October 9, 2019 | Wilmington, DE | Mac Isaac deems laptop abandoned. Begins reviewing contents and notices potential national security concerns. | Mac Isaac |
| November 2019 | Delaware | Mac Isaac contacts FBI. First outreach goes nowhere, until Agent Joshua Wilson (cyber division) follows up. | Mac Isaac, FBI |
| Dec 9, 2019 | FBI Field Office | FBI seizes the laptop and hard drive using a federal subpoena. A “receipt of property” is signed. | FBI, Mac Isaac |
| Early 2020 | Delaware | FBI investigation reportedly begins into possible money laundering using laptop data (per whistleblower testimony). | FBI, IRS investigators |
| Aug 28, 2020 | NYC | Mac Isaac provides hard drive copy to Rudy Giuliani’s lawyer, Robert Costello. | Mac Isaac, Costello, Giuliani |
| Sept–Oct 2020 | NY | Steve Bannon receives a copy of the hard drive. Coordination begins with the NY Post. | Bannon, Giuliani |
| Oct 11, 2020 | NY Post | Giuliani delivers hard drive to Emma-Jo Morris (reporter) and NY Post editors. | Emma-Jo Morris, Giuliani |
| Oct 14, 2020 | NY Post | First article published alleging email ties between Hunter Biden and Burisma advisor. | NY Post |
| Oct 15–16, 2020 | Online | Twitter blocks links to the article citing “hacked materials.” Facebook reduces reach pending fact-check. | Twitter, Facebook |
| Oct 19, 2020 | DC | 51 former intelligence officials sign letter claiming laptop story resembles “Russian disinformation.” | John Brennan, James Clapper, Leon Panetta, others |
| Oct 22, 2020 | Nashville, TN | Final presidential debate. Trump questions Biden on laptop. Biden calls it “a Russian plan.” | Trump, Biden |
| Feb 2021 | Delaware | DOJ tax probe expands to include suspicious foreign transactions by Hunter Biden. | David Weiss (U.S. Attorney) |
| March 17, 2021 | Interview | Hunter Biden admits he's under investigation but says he's “confident” he did nothing wrong. | Hunter Biden |
| March 30, 2022 | WaPo | Washington Post verifies email metadata and confirms authenticity of 22,000 emails. | WaPo, experts hired by GOP |
| Dec 2022 | “Twitter Files” reveal internal debate over suppression of laptop story; FBI flagged possible misinformation. | Matt Taibbi, Elon Musk | |
| Feb 9, 2023 | House Oversight | Republicans launch investigation into the laptop, Biden family business, and possible DOJ/FBI interference. | James Comer, Jim Jordan |
| June 20, 2023 | DOJ | Hunter Biden announces plea agreement on tax charges, with separate gun diversion deal. | David Weiss, DOJ, Hunter Biden |
| July 2023 | Whistleblower Testimony | IRS whistleblowers allege DOJ slow-walked laptop investigation, blocked charges in California and DC. | Gary Shapley, IRS agents |
| Oct 2023 | Congress | John Paul Mac Isaac testifies about the chain of custody and FBI subpoena process. | Mac Isaac, Oversight Committee |
| 2024–2025 | Election Cycle | Laptop re-emerges as key issue in GOP campaign messaging and House probes continue | House GOP, Trump campaign, media |
Fast-forward to 2022, when outlets like The New York Times and The Washington Post verified key contents from the laptop using forensic analysis. The emails, photos, and metadata were confirmed to be authentic — raising questions about how the story was initially suppressed and politicized. Congressional Republicans soon launched formal investigations into the laptop's handling, the Biden family's business dealings, and the alleged role of federal agencies in shaping the public narrative.
Exhibit 2.
ATM Withdrawls
Between 2016 and 2019, Hunter Biden and his associated entities—primarily Owasco P.C.—withdrew over $1.6 million in cash. These withdrawals, documented in federal court filings, included a combination of frequent ATM transactions and large direct cash withdrawals from banks. While the exact ATM locations remain undisclosed, the pattern suggests a high volume of liquid cash movement, often in increments of $200 to $2,000, with several withdrawals reaching five-figure amounts. This financial activity has been cited in investigations and hearings concerning potential tax and transparency issues. As you can see from the table I’ve created below, Hunter Biden and his law firm Owasco P.C. made dozens of cash withdrawals totaling tens of thousands of dollars. Federal court records show a mix of small, frequent ATM transactions—typically ranging from $200 to $1,000—as well as several large lump-sum cash withdrawals from bank branches, including amounts of $10,000 and $14,000. These withdrawals occurred between September and November and are part of a broader pattern of cash activity under scrutiny during ongoing investigations into Hunter Biden’s financial dealings.
| Date | Entity | Amount Withdrawn | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 5, 2018 | Owasco P.C. | $1,000 | ATM Withdrawal |
| Sep 6, 2018 | Owasco P.C. | $200 | ATM Withdrawal |
| Sep 10, 2018 | Owasco P.C. | $300 | ATM Withdrawal |
| Sep 12, 2018 | Owasco P.C. | $500 | ATM Withdrawal |
| Sep 13, 2018 | Owasco P.C. | $14,000 | Bank Cash Withdrawal |
| Sep 18, 2018 | Owasco P.C. | $200 | ATM Withdrawal |
| Sep 27, 2018 | Owasco P.C. | $10,000 | Bank Cash Withdrawal |
| Oct 2, 2018 | Hunter Biden | $2,000 | ATM Withdrawal |
| Oct 4, 2018 | Hunter Biden | $300 | ATM Withdrawal |
| Oct 9, 2018 | Owasco P.C. | $500 | ATM Withdrawal |
| Oct 15, 2018 | Hunter Biden | $1,000 | ATM Withdrawal |
| Nov 6, 2018 | Owasco P.C. | $200 | ATM Withdrawal |
Some of the withdrawls I’ve laid out in the table were used in the Grand Jury indictment for Hunter Biden.
According to a September 14, 2023 federal indictment filed in the District of Delaware, Hunter Biden—identified legally as Robert Hunter Biden—faces a serious charge stemming from a 2018 incident. The charge, known as Count Three, alleges that between October 12 and October 23, 2018, Hunter Biden knowingly possessed a firearm—a Colt Cobra .38 Special revolver—despite being an unlawful user of, and addicted to, controlled substances, including stimulants and narcotics.
This indictment claims a direct violation of Title 18 of the U.S. Code, Sections 922(g)(3) and 924(a)(2), which prohibit drug users from owning firearms. Because the weapon in question had moved through interstate commerce, the charge falls under federal jurisdiction.
The document was signed off by Special Counsel David C. Weiss, with Assistant Special Counsels Derek E. Hines and Leo J. Wise, and formally submitted on September 14, 2023.
This charge adds a new layer to the broader legal scrutiny facing Hunter Biden, especially as it links alleged drug use directly to firearms possession—an issue that carries both legal and political weight. You can read it below.
Exhibit 3.
For Hunter the spending in 2018 was small potatoes, here’s a more comprehensive breakdown of Hunter Biden’s spending in this chart I made, I’ve condensed it down to categories.
| Category | Amount Spent | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cash Withdrawals | $772,000 | Daily ATM and bank withdrawals, averaging over $2,100 per day. |
| Payments to Women | $383,000 | Includes expenses categorized under this label in court filings. |
| Clothing & Accessories | $151,000 | High-end fashion and personal items. |
| Miscellaneous Retail | $78,000 | Other retail purchases. |
| Total Spending | Over $1.8 million | Excluding taxes owed for the year. |
This begs the question besides the Chateau Marmont and paying for health insurance for some unscrupulous people where did the rest of the money go? Wouldn’t John Paul Isaac (Owner of the Mac Shop) that originally received The Laptop From Hell.
Exhibit 4.
Authored by MM.