New York Times stealth-edits report on Hunter Biden laptop story, scrubs ‘unsubstantiated’ following backlash

The New York Times quietly scrubbed the word “unsubstantiated” from its report on the Hunter Biden laptop story after facing intense backlash.

The Federal Election Commission (FEC) determined on Monday that Twitter was not in violation of election laws when it suppressed the New York Post’s explosive reporting about the damning revelations from the laptop of the then-Democratic nominee Joe Biden‘s son just weeks before the election, most notably the shady business dealings Hunter had while his father served as vice president.

However, the Times offered an inaccurate characterization of the Post’s reporting.

“The Federal Election Commission has dismissed Republican accusations that Twitter violated election laws in October by blocking people from posting links to an unsubstantiated New York Post article about Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s son Hunter Biden, in a decision that is likely to set a precedent for future cases involving social media sites and federal campaigns,” Times political reporter Shane Goldmacher began his report.

It wasn’t until the Times tweeted out its declaration that the Post’s reporting was “unsubstantiated” that it caught fire among critics.

Breaking News: The FEC ruled that Twitter’s decision in October to block an unsubstantiated article about President Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, did not violate election laws, according to a document obtained by The New York Times. https://t.co/EzFKKvQ7X2

— The New York Times (@nytimes) September 13, 2021

As flagged by The Washington Examiner, the Times’ report was given a significant facelift hours later with the help of technology reporter Kate Conger, who was added to the byline. – READ MORE