Hunter Biden and his attorneys sent a letter to Fox News and Fox Corp. alleging the company committed conspiracy to defame and unlawful publication of the images, which they claim are the result of hacking, the report said. Hunter and his attorneys are seeking public retractions from the company in addition to changes in online articles alleging that Hunter and his father Joe Biden are involved in an international bribery scheme, the report said.
"While routinely defaming and disparaging Mr. Biden, FOX has simultaneously sought to profit by the unlawful exploitation of Mr. Biden's image, name, and likeness for commercial purposes and reprehensible dissemination of salacious photographs depicting Mr. Biden," wrote Hunter and his lawyers in the letter, which is quoted in the report.
According to the report, the move by Hunter is part of a strategy to retaliate against conservative media for actions taken by the company in 2022, which focused on Hunter's bribery allegations and published explicit images of him in the nude, the report said, citing the letter, which also alleges that the images were digitally manipulated.
Additionally, the letter demands that Fox News hosts update their viewers about the February indictment of Alexander Smirnov, a former informant charged with lying to the FBI about Hunter Biden's business dealings, the report said.
House lawmakers are investigating alleged criminal activity by the Biden family, including potential bribery and foreign influence peddling. Hunter Biden has denied that his father profited from or engaged in his business activities, which include serving on the board of Ukrainian energy company Burisma.
US President Joe Biden has publicly defended Hunter, who also faces an upcoming trial for gun charges in Delaware next month. Hunter has maintained that he is not guilty of these crimes.