The Delaware repairman who blew the whistle on Hunter Biden 's laptop has filed a defamation suit against House Intelligence Committ...
The Delaware repairman who blew the whistle on Hunter Biden's laptop has filed a defamation suit against House Intelligence Committee chair Adam Schiff, CNN, Politico and The Daily Beast seeking damages of 'at least $1 million,' according to a new report.
Former shop owner John Paul Mac Isaac, 45, filed the lawsuit in Montgomery County, Maryland, Tuesday claiming that the outlets falsely said he was spreading Russian disinformation - which he says cost him his store, according to the New York Post.
He claims in the suit that Rep. Schiff defamed him in an interview two days after the Post - and later DailyMail.com - began publishing revelations from the laptop.
In an interview with Wolf Blitzer at the time, Schiff said - without providing any evidence - that he believed 'the Kremlin' was behind 'a smear campaign' of both then-presidential candidate Joe Biden, and his son Hunter.
'Well we know that this whole smear on Joe Biden comes from the Kremlin,' he said.
'That's been clear for well over a year now that they've been pushing this false narrative about the Vice President and his son.'
Mac Isaac now claims in his lawsuit that CNN knowingly broadcast the 'false and defamatory story,' which caused him significant damage including the closing of his laptop repair store.
He is also going after the Daily Beast, which claimed the laptop was 'purloined' in an article, as well as Politico, which reported that dozens of former intelligence officials believe the laptop was 'Russian disinfo.'
His attorney, Brian Della Rocca, told the Post that Mac Isaac is now seeking 'at least $1 million in compensatory damages [and] punitive damages, which will be the bigger number and will be determined at trial.'
John Paul Mac Isaac, 45, is suing House Rep. Adam Schiff, CNN, the Daily Beast and Politico in a defamation case seeking 'at least $1 million' in damages
The suit claims that Isaac lost his computer repair shop after CNN and the other outlets accused him of spreading Russian disinformation
According to the lawsuit, the Post reports, Mac Isaac was forced to close down his computer repair shop near the Biden family homes in Greenville, Delaware following the CNN report - when people started throwing eggs, vegetables and even dog feces at his door.
He then reportedly went into exile in Colorado for a year.
'CNN's broadcast of the false statement accuses the Plaintiff of committing an infamous crime, i.e., treason by working with the Russians to commit a crime against the United States of America by attempting to undermine American democracy an the 2020 Presidential election,' the lawsuit states.
As a result, Della Rocca told the Post: 'He has lost his business, friendships and his honorable standing in his community.
'This lawsuit is to attempt to repair a small portion of that damage caused by the defendants in the suit,' he continued. 'We intend to show that their actions were intentionally malicious.'
Mac Isaac, meanwhile, told the Post: 'After fighting to reveal the truth, all I want now is for the rest of the country to know that there was a collective and orchestrated effort by social and mainstream media to block a real story with real consequences for the nation.
'This was collusion led by 51 former pillars in the intelligence community and backed by words and actions of a politically motivated DOJ and FBI,' he added, noting: 'I want this lawsuit to reveal that collusion and more importantly, who gave the marching orders.'
He is being backed financially in his efforts by The America Project, a nonprofit founded by Trump loyalists Army Gen. Michael Flynn, his brother Joe Flynn and businessman Pat Byrne.
'[We are] honored to sponsor John Paul Mac Isaac in his fight against the injustice that has been done to him when the political elite coordinated with the leftist news media claiming the Hunter Biden laptop was Russian disinformation - which was a blatant lie,' the retired general told the Post.
'The synchronized efforts of these parties to wield their words like weapons are evident through years long continuous coverage that led to extreme backlash against JP and the closing of his business.'
In an interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer after the laptop was revealed, Rep. Adam Schiff, left, said - without providing any evidence - that he believed 'the Kremlin' was behind 'a smear campaign' of both then-presidential candidate Joe Biden, and his son Hunter.
The Daily Beast also published an article at the time claiming the laptop was stolen
Mac Isaac first acquired the laptop in 2019 when Hunter dropped it off at his store and never returned to get it.
He then turned it over to the FBI, and eight months later, Mac Isaac gave a copy of its hard drive to Donald Trump's lawyer, Rudy Giuliani.
Giuliani then reportedly leaked documents and photos from the drive to the New York Post, and also gave a whole copy of the drive to Trump advisor Steve Bannon and his podcast co-host Jack Maxey.
By the spring of 2021, DailyMail.com hired Brad Maryman, an expert who founded the FBI's cyber forensics unit, and his firm Maryman & Associates to analyze the laptop.
Their report showed the laptop was real. From then on, DailyMail.com began to reveal its sordid and potentially incriminating contents over the following year.
Using the same forensic tools as federal and state law enforcement in criminal investigations, Maryman & Associates found a total of 103,000 text messages, 154,000 emails and more than 2,000 photos on the hard drive.
Among those files were documents showing Hunter was paid a $1million retainer in 2017 to represent his business partner Patrick Ho, who was being prosecuted by the US government.
Other documents show CEFC wired the Biden family a total $5million.
One startling email also indicates that the president could have been involved in Hunter's business dealings with the Chinese.
In September 2017 Hunter was planning to open a new office for his multi-million-dollar joint venture with CEFC at the House of Sweden, a Georgetown building home to the Swedish embassy.
He wrote to a building manager: 'please have keys made available for new office mates: Joe Biden, Jill Biden, Jim Biden, Gongwen Dong (Chairman Ye CEFC emissary).
'I would like the office sign ton [sic] reflect the following: The Biden Foundation, Hudson West (CEFC US).'
'We are very excited and honored to welcome your new colleagues!' the manager replied.
Those documents are now being used in a federal investigation of suspected tax fraud, money laundering and foreign lobbying violations by Hunter Biden.
But originally several mainstream publications suggested the laptop was Russian disinformation, with even President Biden suggesting such.
In a 60 Minutes interview shortly before the 2020 presidential election, Biden said he believed that Giuliani, who has touted the laptop around various media outlets seeking publicity, was being used by Russia.
'From what I've read and know, the intelligence community warned the president that Giuliani was being fed disinformation from the Russians,' Biden said.
'And we also know that Putin is trying very hard to spread disinformation about Joe Biden.
'And so when you put the combination of Russia, Giuliani, the president, together - it's just what it is.
'It's a smear campaign because he has nothing he wants to talk about. What is he running on? What is he running on?'
Twitter also restricted views to The New York Post's story about Biden, using information obtained from the laptop.
It said it was banned for potentially coming from 'hacked materials.'
The laptop contained a total of 103,000 text messages, 154,000 emails and more than 2,000 photos (like this one)
Documents on the laptop are now being used in a federal investigation of suspected tax fraud, money laundering and foreign lobbying violations by Hunter Biden.
The claim led Mac Isaac to sue Twitter for $500 million in damages.
He claimed that by invoking the 'hacked materials prohibition, Twitter 'created the belief among members of the community that [Isaac]: (1) committed a crime - hacking, (2) was subject to hatred, ridicule, contempt or disgrace - threats of harm and negative business reviews; and (3) was injured to his trade or business as a result - closed his business.'
But a judge ruled in Twitter's favor and granted its motion to dismiss the case because neither The Post article nor Twitter publicly identified Mac Isaac as providing the laptop at the time, according to Law and Crime.
The court also found that because his lawsuit was aimed at Twitter's First Amendment right to moderate its own content, it was 'entitled to an award of attorney's fees and costs.'
All together, the Post reports, that lawsuit cost Isaac $175,000.
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