Newly released memos add another chapter to the long trail of evidence showing federal officials and their partners working to shield the Biden family from scrutiny over foreign business dealings and Hunter Biden’s unlawful actions, as reported by Just The News.

The White House Government Transparency Task Force released memos Thursday showing that the FBI and State Department moved in September 2020 to prevent Ukrainian witness Andrii Telizhenko from meeting with Sens. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., and Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa. The senators were investigating Biden family business activities in Ukraine and China.

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Newly declassified emails and intelligence reports suggest a high priority witness for a GOP Senate investigation @ChuckGrassley @SenRonJohnson into Biden corruption allegations was blocked from entering the US. Two weeks before the 2020 election, State DEPT email reads: “..to follow up on the Telezhinko (sic) visa, we revoked it earlier this month because he was imminently getting on a plane and needed to move quickly…” - FBI and Intelligence Community “weren’t checking if allegations were true, they were suffocating anti-Biden Ukraine narrative, " says administration official CONTEXT: Visa revocation and reported sanctions on Andrii Telizhenko appear to fit a broader pattern: •IRS agents assigned to Hunter Biden laptop probe, including Burisma, say they were blocked from investigating leads into the “Big Guy” •51 former intelligence official claim laptop had “classic earmarks” of a Russia information operation. Months earlier FBI had authenticated laptop •FBI HQ appears to slow roll other Biden probes •Senators Grassley and Johnson get FBI suspect "offensive briefing" about Russian disinformation, allegedly designed to thwart Hunter Biden probe NOTE: Declassified records also raise prospect of circular reporting. Here’s how it works: Government officials (or their proxies) plant information with a reporter, who publishes it. The same officials then cite the resulting media story to justify further investigative steps. Exposing “circular reporting” undermines the credibility of some journalists who built their reputations on Russia collusion scoops New records via @WhiteHouse transparency task force — Catherine Herridge (@C__Herridge) October 22, 2026

On Sept. 8, 2020, the FBI’s Foreign Influence Task Force began preparing a request to revoke Telizhenko’s visa. Officials then discovered that the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv had already revoked it.

The Department of the Treasury later sanctioned Telizhenko for election interference. That action came despite a CIA assessment that he was, at most, possibly an “unwitting” participant.

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An August 2020 FBI memo also showed that Russia had banned Telizhenko, identified him as a spy, and that he had rejected approaches from Russian recruiters. Those details hardly fit neatly with the treatment he received from American officials.

NEW: DECLASSIFIED FBI Probe "PLASMIC ECHO"

- Appears to use FBI investigative tool known as a "Pen Register" to target phone calls of then campaign manager @SusieWiles47 - Allegedly tracked nearly two dozen defense attorneys, five journalists, @FLOTUS, political advisers including @FBIDirectorKash - Administration official characterizes as "intrusive tactics" by special counsel Jack Smith team - Probe laid groundwork for classified records case against President Trump Pen Register Trap and Trace or PRTT - Surveillance tool collects non-content routing data - Phone numbers dialed or received - Call times and duration Two Scenarios - Used for criminal and national security investigations - lower standard than probable-cause warrant Potential Violations - First (Freedom of Speech) and Fourth Amendments (unreasonable search and seizure) NOTE: Former Senior FBI agent says it looks like a classic FBI "tickle the wire" operation. After FBI agents contact Wiles, the bureau tracks phone calls to identify who she immediately contacts "On 10 April 2023, FBI WFO (Washington Field Office) reviewed WILES's telephonic activity to determine contacts of interest on the date of her FBI interview." Declassified records via @WhiteHouse transparency task force — Catherine Herridge (@C__Herridge) October 5, 2026

According to the memos, the government accused Telizhenko of spreading “false claims” about Hunter Biden’s position on the board of Ukrainian energy company Burisma Holdings. Those claims concerned whether Hunter Biden’s role influenced American policy aimed at fighting corruption in Ukraine.

NEW RECORDS: Monitoring @SusieWiles47 Phone

- Newly declassified federal court applications for 2023 "Pen Register Trap and Trace" - Target: Then campaign manager Susie Wiles's communications during Trump classified records probe - No mention by Special Counsel Jack Smith that monitoring included Trump defense lawyers - 'the Subject Phone Number was used to communicate with subjects and witnesses shortly before and/or after they spoke with the Government...' - Instead, application states a PAC 'funds salaries and/or pays legal bills of several subjects and witnesses in connection with the ongoing investigation....' Pen Register Trap and Trace or PRTT - Surveillance tool that collects non-content data - Phone numbers dialed and received - Call times and duration FALSE NARRATIVE: Real time collection of phone data via pen register is NOT as intrusive as obtaining contents of the calls themselves Court Application Details Broad Data Collection - The pen-trap will "record, decode, and/or capture dialing, routing, addressing, and signaling information associated with each communication to or from the Subject Phone Number - Including the date, time, and duration of the communication, and the following, without geographic limit - IP addresses associated with the cell phone device or devices used to send or receive electronic communications; - Any unique identifiers associated with the cell phone device or devices used to make and receive calls with the Subject Phone Number - IP addresses of any websites or other servers to which the cell phone device or devices is/are connected; - And source and destination telephone numbers and email addresses. NOTE: Additional records declassified via @WhiteHouse transparency task force reveal Jack Smith team used same investigative tactic to allegedly track nearly two dozen defense attorneys, five journalists, @FLOTUS, Barron Trump, political advisers including @FBIDirectorKash Court applications made for Pen Register made AFTER President Trump announced he would run in 2024. FBI Pen Register Records For Susie Wiles — Catherine Herridge (@C__Herridge) October 12, 2026

Telizhenko also repeated allegations that Joe Biden changed American policy when he withheld $1 billion to force the firing of Ukraine’s chief prosecutor, who was investigating Burisma. The actions against Telizhenko prevented him from meeting directly with the Senate investigators examining those matters.

The episode appears to fit a wider pattern surrounding investigations into Joe Biden and Hunter Biden. Current and former government officials repeatedly appeared to shield the family from scrutiny or redirect inquiries into its activities.

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In October 2020, 51 former intelligence officials signed a letter suggesting that Hunter Biden’s laptop bore the hallmarks of a Russian information operation. Michael Morell, a former acting CIA director who organized the letter, later admitted that its purpose was to provide the Biden campaign with a debate “talking point.”

The assessment gave then-candidate Joe Biden a way to deflect criticism of his son’s business dealings while campaigning for president. The House Judiciary Committee said in 2023 that Morell drafted the letter after outreach from Antony Blinken, then a senior advisor to Biden’s campaign and later secretary of state.

The FBI had already obtained and verified the laptop in December 2019, according to IRS investigators. The device contained significant evidence concerning Hunter Biden’s business dealings in Ukraine and China and became evidence in the federal tax investigation of the younger Biden.

IRS investigators Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler later went to Congress after claiming they faced resistance and interference from supervising prosecutors over certain investigative paths. Shapley said prosecutors prohibited questions about Joe Biden, telling Congress, “We weren't allowed to ask about 'Big Guy.'”

One of Hunter Biden’s former business partners said “Big Guy” referred to Joe Biden. The investigators also said the Justice Department repeatedly interfered with search warrants and interviews involving important witnesses or targets, including Hunter Biden himself.

Investigators initially were denied access to Hunter Biden’s laptop, which they believed contained important evidence. They also believed sufficient evidence existed to charge Hunter Biden over unpaid taxes on Burisma income from 2014 and 2015, but the statute of limitations expired after prosecutors declined to file charges.

A 2023 plea agreement collapsed amid the whistleblowers’ disclosures. Hunter Biden was later convicted on gun charges and pleaded guilty to tax charges in 2024 before his father pardoned him, despite repeatedly telling the country he would not issue such a pardon.

Shapley and Ziegler also claimed they suffered retaliation for making protected disclosures to Congress. After Shapley raised his concerns with lawmakers, his investigative team was removed from the case.

Shapley told Just the News that Hunter Biden received more favorable treatment than other subjects he investigated during his 13-year career.

“I believe in what we're doing, when we're treating people fairly. And, you know, it just didn't happen in this particular case."

The Foreign Influence Task Force also operated a broader effort during that period. Declassified records released by the White House in August showed that the task force’s Russia unit launched an operation called “Round River” in December 2019 to flag evidence against the Bidens as Russian disinformation.

According to a 2025 summary by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the team gathered “any/all derogatory information previously reported by confidential human sources (CHSs) on Joseph Biden corruption” and other Ukraine topics “to red flag the reporting as Russian disinformation.”

The summary said “the Round River team did not corroborate any of the allegations of the 'Ukraine narrative.'” Yet a Reuters / Ipsos poll found almost half of Americans believed Trump colluded with Russia, while a 2019 YouGov poll found at least 48% of voters disagreed with Trump’s denial of Russian collusion.

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