Judicial Watch: Records Show Joe Biden Used Email Alias in Correspondence which Included Hunter Biden and James Biden; Signed Off on Brief Cessation of Secret Service Protection for Hunter and Natalie Biden

Agency Produces 210 Joe Biden Alias Emails

(Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch announced today it received 426 pages of records in a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit from the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) that show then-Vice President Joe Biden’s use of an email alias to correspond with family members, including son Hunter and brother James; and that Joe Biden signed off on the cessation of Secret Service protection for Hunter Biden and Beau Biden’s daughter Natalie during an August 2016 trip to Kosovo.

These emails include messages to Jim and Hunter Biden regarding the then-vice president’s schedule and meetings. Some emails show Biden using the alias: [email protected].

The emails also show that Hunter and Jim Biden accompanied Joe Biden on taxpayer-funded trips; and then-Vice President Biden in December 2009 emailing an aide after he forgot the password to his West Wing computer.

The emails were uncovered in a Judicial Watch Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the National Archives for Biden communications (Judicial Watch, Inc. v. National Archives (No. 1:23-cv-01432)).

The records show that Hunter Biden used an email address ([email protected]) from his now-dissolved firm Rosemont Seneca Partners.

The records also show that James Biden used an email address ([email protected]) tied to his consulting firm Lion Hall, which had been the subject of an FBI bribery investigation in the 1990s. 

There were 210 Biden vice presidential email messages produced related to the lawsuit. Most were redacted due to Presidential Records Act (PRA) restrictions and applicable FOIA exemptions, which specify what material may be released to the public.

Previously, Judicial Watch released five pages of records that show then-Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter received a May 26, 2016, email detailing a scheduled “8:45 am prep for a 9 am phone call with Pres Poroshenko,” who was the president of Ukraine. Joe Biden’s email address is the alias [email protected], Hunter Biden’s email account is disclosed as [email protected]. (Hunter Biden was on the board of the controversial Ukrainian firm Burisma at the time.)

The new records include an August 18, 2016, email sent from his Rosemont Seneca email address to Secret Service Assistant Director of the Office of Investigations Jeremy Sherida, Hunter Biden writes: “Thank you. Both the Vice President and I sign off on the agreed upon requested interruption in protection for Natalie and Hunter.” The interruption in protection was from August 18 to August 22, 2016, during their trip to Kosovo and was to resume up their return to Washington, D.C., on August 22, 2016. The Biden family was in Kosovo where the country erected a statue of and named a highway after Beau Biden. It is not known where Hunter Biden and Natalie Biden went without their Secret Service detail.

(Judicial Watch litigation had previously found that, for the first five-and-a-half years of the Obama administration, Hunter Biden traveled extensively while receiving a Secret Service protective detail. During the time period of the records provided, Hunter Biden, son of then-Vice President Joe Biden, took 411 separate domestic and international flights, including to 29 different foreign countries. He visited China five times.)

An email from Michele Smith, executive assistant to the vice president, dated June 24, 2011, and titled “News piece and wire photos from the first Greece stop.” The email is addressed to Hunter Biden, Beau Biden, Hallie Biden, and Kathleen Biden. The email contains two attachments, which are photos of Jill Biden with U.S. troops on the USS Ramage. The email is a news release concerning Jill Biden arriving in Greece for the 2011 Special Olympic Games. Prior to attending the “Flame of Hope” lighting ceremony, Mrs. Biden visited the USS Ramage, a destroyer anchored off the Faliro Marina in southern coastal Athens. Biden told the crew members of the destroyer she was looking forward to attending the Special Olympic Games.

An email from Michele Smith, dated October 24, 2010, addressed to James Biden. The subject of the email is “Tomorrow’s Schedule – safe travels.” The email is an itinerary for then-Vice President Joe Biden and James Biden for one-day travel from the VP’s private residence in Delaware to Orlando, Florida, to address the International Association of Police Chief’s. On the return trip, there were short stops at Manchester-Boston Regional Airport for a dinner visit with Ann McLane Kuster at Norton’s Classic Café followed by a visit to Salon 263, Nashau, New Hampshire. Afterwards, Vice President Biden and Jim Biden returned to his private residence.

An email from Fran Person, Vice President Biden’s personal assistant, dated July 24, 2009, is addressed to Beau Biden and Hunter Biden and is titled, “Fw. A Very Successful Visit.” Two email recipients are redacted. The email is a forward from Antony Blinken, deputy assistant to the president, from Ambassador John Teft regarding Biden’s trip to Tbilisi, capital of the Republic of Georgia. The email states that everyone from President Saakashvili to his most ardent opponents had great things to say about Biden.

An email from Fran Person, dated March 14, 2010, addressed to Hunter Biden is titled “Tomorrow’s, Monday March 15, Latest Schedule.” Two email recipients are redacted from the email. The one-day itinerary involves travel to Cincinnati and Cleveland, Ohio for a meeting with Congressman Steve Driehaus and attending a small reception for Democrat Gov. Ted Strickland at a law office.

An email from Michele Smith, dated November 25, 2009, is addressed to a redacted recipient and CCd to Hunter Biden and Beau Biden, titled “Follow Up.” The email also has a BCC to Joseph R. Biden, Jr., email address redacted. The email is addressed to “Boss” and concerns a possible visit by Sen. John Kerry to Nantucket over the holiday weekend and a call to Ambassador Lou Sussman on Thanksgiving weekend. 

An email from Fran Person, dated March 17, 2010, is addressed to Hunter Biden and an additional redacted recipient and is titled “Tomorrow’s Sched Run thru.” The email has a BCC to Kathleen Biden, email address redacted. The email concerns Hunter traveling with Joe Biden on a one-day trip to a factory in North Carolina to meet Energy Secretary Steven Chu to address workers at the Cree factory and to participate in several media events.

A forwarded email from Fran Person, dated August 19, 2012, is addressed to Joe Biden, Beau Biden, Hunter Biden, Valerie Biden, and James Biden. There are an additional two redacted recipients on the email. The email is titled, “Fw. AP Profile Piece: THE VEEP: A REGULAR AND NOT-SO-REGULAR JOE. 

An email from Fran Person, dated May 18, 2012, is addressed to Joe Biden, Beau Biden, Hunter Biden, Valerie Biden, Ashley Biden; Jill Biden, James Biden and wife Sarah Biden. There are numerous redacted recipients on the email. The email is titled “Press Recap” and consists of an attachment with 13 press releases related to Biden that occurred over several days.

An email from Fran Person, dated July 31, 2013, is addressed to Beau Biden, Hunter Biden, and Jill Biden. There are numerous redacted recipients on the email. The email is titled, “FW: OVP Press Recap India/Singapore 2013” and consists of an attachment with 203 pages of press information relating to Biden’s trip to India and Singapore.

An email from Joe Biden dated October 19, 2010, titled “NY Times: As G.O.P seeks spending cuts, details are scarce.” The email is addressed to: Terrell McSweeny, James F. Carney, Jared Bernstein, JACK (redacted), James Biden, Elizabeth Alexander, Evan M. Ryan, Beau Biden, Hunter Biden, and several email administrative groups associated with his staff.  The email contains a link to a NY Times article.

 An email from Joe Biden dated May 28, 2012, titled “NY Times: West Point is Divided on a War Doctrine’s Fate / great article. Joe. The email is addressed to: Ted (Redacted); Thomas E. Donilon, Antony Blinken, Beau Biden, Hunter Biden, James Biden, Bobbi J. Doorenbos, Bruce N. Reed, John Martilla, Mike Christopher, and Mike Donilon. The email contains a link to a NY Times article.

An email from Joe Biden dated December 27, 2012, titled “Interesting.” The email is addressed to Beau Biden, Hunter Biden, Howard (redacted), Valerie Biden, Ashley (Redacted); Missy (Redacted); and Michael Donilon. The email contained a link to a poll taken by CNN regarding Vice President Biden’s job performance. 

An email from Joe Biden dated May 6, 2011, is titled “The Employment Situation In April.” The email is addressed to Beau Biden, Hunter Biden, James Biden, Bobbi J., Bruce N. Reed, JACK (redacted), and Jared Bernstein. The email states, “I thought you would find this interesting” and provides a link to a whitehouse.gov press release.

An email from Joe Biden dated February 22, 2011, titled “NY Times: Why Cuts Don’t Bring Prosperity.” The email is addressed to Ted (Redacted), Thomas E. Donilon, Antony Blinken, Beau Biden, Hunter Biden, James Biden, Elizabeth Alexander, Allan L. Hoffman, Ted Kaufman, Terrell McSweeny, Matthew S. Teper, Mike Donilon, Cynthia Hogan, Ron Klain, Evan M. Ryan, Bruce N. Reed, and Terrell P. McSweeny. The email provides a link to a NY Times article.

An email from Joe Biden dated January 23, 2011, titled “NY Times: Maybe Japan Was Just a Warm-Up.” The email is addressed to Beau Biden, Hunter Biden, James Biden, Jared Bernstein, Jay Carney, Cynthia Hogan, Ted Kaufmann, Terrell P. McSweeny, Courtney O’Donnell, and Evan M. Ryan. The email provides a link to a NY Times article.

In a December 6, 2009, email to Fran Person sent from his alias account [email protected] on his BlackBerry via AT&T, Joe Biden asks: “What is my password for my west wing computer.” Person responds by sending the password [redacted].

“Joe Biden’s alias emails show Joe Biden and his family had a close working relationship on government matters,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “No wonder the Biden administration had been hiding these emails from Congress and the American people.”

Judicial Watch has nearly a dozen Freedom of Information Act lawsuits regarding records concerning Biden corruption issues, including: 

In March 2023, the Archives had released only 1,276 pages of over 8,000 records about the unprecedented document dispute and raid on the home of former President Trump.

 In October 2022, Judicial Watch sued the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for all communications between the Secret Service and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) regarding the search warrant which precipitated the raid on former President Donald Trump’s Florida residence at Mar-a-Lago on August 8, 2022.

Also in October 2022, Judicial Watch sued the Barack Obama Presidential Library for Obama White House records about the 2016 “Russia Collusion Hoax.” The records, which by law were not available under FOIA until five years after President Obama left office, are held at the library, which is part of the National Archives system.

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