Overview

• The FBI issued a 'gag order' in October 2020, instructing employees not to discuss Hunter Biden's laptop after its authenticity was confirmed internally in 2019.
• Newly released chat logs show FBI officials actively discouraged social media companies from engaging with the story, labeling it as potential Russian disinformation.
• An FBI analyst confirmed the laptop's authenticity to Twitter, but was silenced by a senior FBI attorney during the same call.
• The FBI's failure to disclose the laptop's authenticity contributed to its suppression by social media platforms ahead of the 2020 election.
• The revelations have renewed scrutiny of the FBI's role in shaping public narratives and its potential impact on the election outcome.