The Secret Service doubled down Tuesday, once again denying that agents attempted to retrieve paperwork from the gun store where Hunter Biden infamously purchased a Colt Cobra revolver that his sister-in-law-turned-lover later tossed in a garbage bin.
The agency’s latest denial, however, comes after federal court filings on Monday showed that the FBI interviewed the owner of the StarQuest Shooter gun store in Wilmington, Del., who said that both Delaware State Police and Secret Service agents visited his business the day after the .38-caliber revolver went missing.
“There is no change in our statement,” Anthony Guglielmi, chief of communications for the US Secret Service, told The Post when asked about the recent filing made by special counsel David Weiss.
Guglielmi was referring to the agency’s 2021 denial, in which the Secret Service claimed its records show agents had “no involvement” in the incident.
“We were aware of the claims made at that time but could not find any information to independently corroborate them,” Guglielmi said of StarQuest Shooter owner Ron Palimere’s allegations to the FBI.
“At that time, the Biden family were not protectees of the Secret Service,” he added.
Palimere was interviewed by the FBI last week and told federal agents that he ventured into his gun store the evening of Oct. 12, 2018, when his employees recognized Biden “as a celebrity-type customer.”
Recognizing that his father, Joe Biden, was not a “gun supporter,” Palimere indicated that he wanted to get “the sale completed and get [Hunter] Biden out of the store” quickly, over fears that having Hunter Biden seen in his establishment would be bad for business.
Twelve days later, the Delaware State Police and US Secret Service separately came to StarQuest, inquiring about the paperwork Hunter filled out during the gun transaction, according to Palimere, who told the FBI that he based the date and events on text messages he exchanged with an agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
“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,” the FBI document outlining Palimere’s interview states. “Both agencies asked the same questions and it appeared they were not aware of each other’s investigations.”
The alleged request by the Secret Service “did not seem right” to Palimere, who told the FBI that he contacted ATF special agent Jason Reisch for advice on how to proceed.
“Reisch 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,” the FBI document states.
The Secret Service spokesman told The Post that the agency could not “corroborate” what Palimere told the FBI last week.
“For clarity, those claims were not made by federal agents,” Guglielmi said. “They were made by gun shop personnel and documented in filings.”
“Members of the Biden family were not protectees of the Secret Service at that time and we were unable to find any information that could corroborate that Secret Service personnel were present,” he reiterated.
Palimere eventually turned over the gun purchase paperwork to the ATF.
Hunter Biden described the gun purchase fiasco in detail in a lengthy text message found by The Post on his abandoned laptop, where he said the Secret Service responded after Hallie Biden — his brother Beau’s widow whom he carried on an affair with — absconded with his revolver.
“She stole the gun out of my trunk lock box and threw it in a garbage can full to the top at Jansens [sic]. Then told me it was my problem to deal with,” Hunter wrote, referring to a high-end grocery store in Wilmington.
“Then when the police the FBI the secret service came on the scene she said she took it from me because she was scared I would harm myself due to my drug and alcohol problem and our volatile relationship and that she was afraid for the kids,” he added.
Hunter was charged by Weiss last September on three counts related to lying about being addicted to crack cocaine when he bought the firearm.
The first son is slated to stand trial over the charges on June 3. He has pleaded not guilty.
Hunter’s former spouse Kathleen Buhle, his ex-girlfriend Zoe Kestan and Hallie Biden are all expected to take the witness stand in the case.
