Hunter Biden opened legal proceedings against Rudy Giuliani on Tuesday, claiming that Giuliani infringed on both federal and Californian laws. The litigation arises from the allegation that Giuliani unlawfully obtained Biden’s computer data from John Paul Mac Issac, the proprietor of a Delaware computer repair shop. Mac Issac allegedly made copies of Biden’s hard drive and subsequently reached out to Attorney Robert J. Costello and Giuliani, sharing said copies.
Biden’s legal action asserts that Giuliani and Costello gained access to confidential information, such as bank statements, photographs, emails, and other financial documents, sourced from the copies of the hard drive.
Evidence put forward against the defendants predominantly comes from their own admissions in media interviews. Costello previously vaunted to New York Magazine about scrutinizing Biden’s laptop, while Giuliani openly conceded that he had accessed data from Biden’s laptop on a minimum of three separate podcasts.
Notably, the allegations state that there have been violations of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act—a law that prevents “intentionally accessing a computer without authorized access.” Additional felony claims relate to the California Penal Code §502, which forbids knowingly accessing another’s information to effectuate any scheme to “defraud, deceive, or extort”. Lastly, Biden’s complaint accuses Giuliani and Costello of violating the California Business & Professionals Code, a law which forbids engaging in “unfair competition”.
As part of the lawsuit, Biden has demanded a jury trial and is seeking both general and punitive damages.
This litigation adds to a series of legal activities involving Hunter Biden. Earlier this month, he lodged a lawsuit against the IRS, claiming unlawful disclosure of his tax returns. Additionally, he has been indicted on federal firearms charges.
More details on the suit can be found in this Jurist news article.