FBI searches home of conservative provocateur in probe of theft of Biden daughter’s diary

Agents searched home of James O’Keefe in Mamaroneck, New York

Project Veritas founder James O'Keefe looks on during the Conservative Political Action Conference CPAC held at the Hilton Anatole on July 09, 2021 in Dallas, Texas. (Getty Images)

The FBI has raided the home of conservative activist James O’Keefe amid an investigation into a diary reported stolen by Joe Biden’s daughter.

Agents searched the New York home of the Project Veritas founder on Saturday morning, the day after he acknowledged his group was being looked into by the Justice Department.

An FBI spokesperson confirmed that its agents had “performed law enforcement activity” in Mamaroneck, New York, according to The New York Times.

The FBI searched two locations on Thursday as part of the probe into how the diary belonging to Ashley Biden went missing days before the 2020 presidential election.

Mr O’Keefe published a video after the first raids saying that “tipsters” had approached Project Veritas last year claiming to have obtained Ashley Biden’s diary, which they said contained “explosive allegations” about Mr Biden.

He claimed that the group had been told that the diary had been left behind in a room Ms Biden had stayed in, which the “tipsters” then occupied.

Mr O’Keefe said that the “tipsters” were trying to sell the diary, but that Project Veritas had not published its contents as they could not verify them.

In this screenshot from the DNCC’s livestream of the 2020 Democratic National Convention, Ashley Biden, daughter of Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, addresses the virtual convention on August 20, 2020. (DNCC via Getty Images)

“Project Veritas gave the diary to law enforcement to ensure it could be returned to its rightful owner. We never published it,” Mr O’Keefe said.

“Now, Ms Biden’s father’s Department of Justice, specifically the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, appears to be investigating the situation, claiming the diary was stolen.

“We don’t know if it was but it begs the question: In what world is the alleged theft of a diary investigated by the President’s FBI and his Department of Justice? A diary?”

Ms Biden, 40, is the president’s youngest child and has maintained a much lower profile than her half-brother, Hunter Biden.

Project Veritas has a history of using hidden cameras and false identities to target news organisations, Democrats and other groups.

A Project Veritas spokesperson said that at the advice of their lawyers the group would not be making any additional comment.