EXCLUSIVESecret service agents demanded Hunter's firearm purchase form from gun store owner - despite the Bidens not being eligible for their protection, new FBI documents reveal
- Store owner Ron Palimere says he refused to hand the ‘Form 4473' over
- The Secret Service has repeatedly denied involvement
- READ MORE: Joe Biden said he would not pardon Hunter Biden in new interview
Secret Service agents intervened in the 2018 case involving Hunter Biden’s handgun – even though the Bidens were not entitled to their protection at the time, FBI documents have confirmed.
The highly unusual – and potentially improper – involvement of the agency that protects presidents, has emerged from new court documents filed in the Delaware federal gun crimes case against the First Son.
Anonymous sources have previously claimed in media interviews that US Secret Service (USSS) agents showed up at a Delaware gun store where the First Son bought a Colt Cobra 38SPL revolver in October 2018 – after his sister-in-law and then-girlfriend Hallie Biden threw it in a grocery store trash can.
At the time, the Bidens were not eligible for Secret Service protection, and the agency has repeatedly denied any involvement.
But now the owner of the Wilmington StarQuest Shooters gun store, Ron Palimere, has given the FBI an interview, under penalty of criminal prosecution, testifying that USSS agents showed up in October 2018 and demanded he hand over the form Hunter filled out to purchase the gun.
But now the owner of the Wilmington StarQuest Shooters gun store, Ron Palimere (pictured right) has given the FBI an interview , under penalty of criminal prosecution, testifying that USSS agents showed up around October 24, 2018, and demanded he hand over the form Hunter filled out to purchase the gun
Secret Service agents intervened in a 2018 case involving Hunter Biden ’s ‘stolen’ handgun – even though the Bidens had no Secret Service protection at the time, FBI documents show
He refused. Had Palimere handed the ‘Form 4473' over, it is unclear whether Hunter would be facing his gun charges today.
The Secret Service provides protection to presidents and their families for life, but Vice presidents only get the perk during their time in office. Joe Biden left the vice presidency in January 2017, nearly two years before Hunter bought the gun.
The document is now the basis of the prosecution against him. It shows that in order to buy the gun, he ticked a box claiming he was not addicted to illegal substances. He admitted in his memoir that he was a ‘full blown addict’ to crack cocaine at the time.
Lying on the federal form is a crime.
The federal form has been discussed repeatedly in Hunter’s trial this week in Wilmington.
But there has been no mention of the alleged improper involvement from the Secret Service – whose agents are in the courtroom, protecting Hunter and the First Family members who have come to support him.
‘Palimere believes it was October 24, 2018, when separately, the Delaware State Police (DSP) and the United States Secret Service (USSS) came to StarQuest,’ said an FBI write-up of Palimere’s interview conducted last week.
Palimere refused to hand over the form Hunter filled out to purchase the gun. Had he handed the ‘Form 4473' over, it is unclear whether Hunter would be facing his gun charges today
The document is now the basis of the prosecution against Hunter. It shows that in order to buy the gun, he ticked a box claiming he was not addicted to illegal substances, when in fact he wrote in his memoir that he was a ‘full blown addict’ to crack cocaine at the time
Hunter Biden (left) holds hands with his wife Melissa Cohen (right) as he leaves court Monday at end of the opening day of his trial on criminal gun charges in Wilmington, Delaware
First lady Jill Biden, center, departs from federal court, Friday, June 7, 2024, in Wilmington, Delaware
First lady Jill Biden, center, departs from federal court, Friday
US First Lady Dr. Jill Biden (R) arrives to attend her son Hunter Biden's trial at US Federal District Court in Wilmington, Delaware, on Friday
‘They said the firearm was involved in a case of some kind and they wanted to expedite the trace process and get access to the Form 4473.
‘Both agencies asked the same questions and it appeared they were not aware of each other's investigations. Something about the USSS request did not seem right so Palimere contacted [a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agent he knew]. [The agent] advised Palimere not to turn the original Form 4473 over to anyone and to turn over a copy only if Palimere felt Palimere had to.’
A Colt Cobra 38SPL revolver similar to Hunter's that Hallie Biden threw into a grocery store trash can
The FBI interview write-up was filed last month as part of the exhibits in Hunter’s trial in Delaware for lying on his gun form.
The Special Agent who conducted the interview, Erika Jensen, gave extensive testimony in Hunter’s trial, which began on June 3.
Another StarQuest employee interviewed by the FBI this month, Gordon Cleveland, also said he ‘heard from the other StarQuest employees who worked day shifts that law enforcement visited the store and they threw their weight around and were not very nice to Palimere.’
The accounts, now on the record in FBI interviews, fly in the face of claims by the USSS since 2021 that they had no involvement in the investigation of Hunter’s allegedly illegal gun purchase.
Sources first revealed the suspicious Secret Service visit to the gun store to news site Politico in March 2021.
The federal form has been discussed repeatedly in Hunter’s trial this week in Wilmington. Pictured: President Joe Biden, right, hugs his son Hunter Biden
At the time, the Secret Service told the site they had no record of agents investigating the incident, and told DailyMail.com that ‘U.S. Secret Service records confirm that the agency did not provide protection to any member of the Biden family in 2018, and that the Secret Service had no involvement in this alleged incident.’
But emails obtained by nonprofit Judicial Watch show that internally USSS officials weren’t so sure.
‘It's kind of odd that we were involved in the missing gun investigation when neither Hunter or Joe were even receiving USSS protection at the time? Hmmm,’ said one unidentified agent in the emails.
‘Maybe we were asked for a favor?’ another said.
‘Oh dear...’ one responded.
