Hunter Biden downloaded sixteen private messaging apps before 2019, many of which used encryption, according to a new report.
The apps included Signal, the Chinese messaging app WeChat, and Wickr, a crypto app once favored in the underworld, according to a New York Post report on Saturday citing an analysis of Hunter’s abandoned laptop by the Marco Polo activist group.
The Wickr app did not appear on the iPhone backup included in the laptop, but had already been downloaded to the phone from iCloud, suggesting it had been installed and then deleted, the Post told the Post. someone familiar with analysis.
There is no evidence of what Hunter Biden discussed on the app or with whom, but the person speculated that it may contain conversations regarding his father, President Joe Biden.
Since the laptop first surfaced in December 2019, Republicans have been scouring it for clues that might implicate the elder Biden in unsavory dealings.
Hunter Biden, seen in a photo of his abandoned laptop, downloaded sixteen private messaging apps before 2019, many of which used encryption, according to a new report
The apps included Signal, the Chinese messaging app WeChat, and Wickr (above), a crypto app once favored in the underworld.
Although Wickr has often been mentioned in court documents related to drug trafficking cases and other criminal activities, it also has many legitimate users.
The encrypted app initially targeted corporate users seeking protection from hackers and had a contract with the US military.
Amazon acquired Wickr in 2021 and is phasing out the consumer app, known as “Wickr Me”, with a pivot to focus on enterprise accounts.
Hunter Biden has been at the center of controversy for years, with issues relating to his business dealings in Ukraine and China, and his former crack addiction.
His planned plea deal to resolve tax evasion charges collapsed sensationally on Wednesday, when a federal judge raised questions about the broad terms of the agreement.
Prosecutors said Wednesday that Hunter Biden was under active investigation, but would not reveal details.
Hunter Biden was charged last month with two misdemeanors of failing to pay more than $100,000 in taxes on more than $1.5 million in earnings in 2017 and 2018 and had to plead guilty in exchange for two years of probation .
Although Wickr has often been mentioned in court cases related to drug trafficking and other criminal activity, it also has many legitimate users, including the military (stock images)
Republican critics had slammed the plea deal as a “love affair”, and their criticisms were only bolstered by concerns raised in court.
US District Court Judge Maryellen Noreika, who was appointed by President Donald Trump, raised multiple concerns about the details of the deal and her role in the proceedings.
The plan also included an agreement on a separate firearms charge. Biden was charged with possession of a firearm in 2018 as a drug addict.
As long as he kept to the terms of his deal, the gun holster was to be erased from his file. Otherwise, the felony charge carries 10 years in prison.
The overlapping deals confused the judge, who said lawyers needed to sort out technical issues – including his role in enforcing the gun deal – before moving on. ‘Before.
“I think you’re saying ‘just approve the deal, Your Honor.’ … It seems to me to be form rather than substance,” she said.
She asked defense attorneys and prosecutors to explain why she should accept the deal.
Meanwhile, Hunter Biden has pleaded not guilty to the tax charges.
