GOP Sens. Johnson, Grassley ask Secret Service for Hunter Biden's un-redacted travel communications

GOP Sens. Chuck Grassley and Ron Johnson are asking the Secret Service for un-redacted travel information for Hunter Biden when his father, President Joe Biden, was vice president, arguing redacted copies "impede our offices’ ability to understand the full scope of the interactions" between Hunter Biden his associates and the federal law enforcement agency.

The Iowa and Wisconsin senators, respectively, made the request in a letter Tuesday to the federal agency, whose primary duties including protecting the president.

"The USSS’s production contains extensive Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)  redactions, which do not apply to Congress and should not be applied to this production," they write. "These inappropriate redactions impede our offices’ ability to understand the full scope of the  interactions between Hunter Biden, his associates, and the USSS." 

Hunter Biden's international business dealings, particularly those in Ukraine while his father was vice president, were of particular interest during the 2020 presidential election cycle. 

The senators also argue in the letter the Secret Service "hid names and other information contained in email conversations regarding Hunter Biden without any proper legal justification."

In addition, the letter describes a specific instance in which the redacted documents appear to protect an individual on then-Vice President Biden's detail who appeared to have been coordinating seats on a private flight from Paris to Kazakhstan for Hunter Biden and his business associates.

"The USSS records that we previously made public show that Hunter Biden was in Paris, France from May 29, 2014, to June 7, 2014, while a protectee," they write. "The USSS records do not show whether USSS  personnel or Hunter Biden traveled to Kazakhstan in May or June 2014."

Furthermore, the letter states the Secret Service has not made available any communications pertaining to Hunter Biden's travel records from 2010-2011 and 2013.

"The USSS's lack of communications during these years raises questions given that USSS travel records show that Hunter Biden made trips to China and other destinations around the world, including, Russia, Italy, Spain and Mexico," reads the letter.