FBI finally returns James O’Keefe’s phones more than three years after raid over Ashley Biden’s diary

In a video posted on X, O’Keefe said he received a receipt addressed to his lawyer from the FBI, operating under the US Department of Justice. The receipt listed an “iPhone 12 Pro Max” and an “iPhone A1921.” The document was signed by FBI Special Agent Anthony Casola, who was the same agent who placed O’Keefe in handcuffs during the original raid.

O’Keefe opened one of the phones and displayed its last message which was sent on November 6, 2021, the day after the raid.

Referring to the search as one of the “unconstitutional raids against journalists,” O’Keefe added, “If it takes them this long to return your property to a newsroom, well, good luck on getting the Epstein list.” He also stated that a lawsuit against the Department of Justice was forthcoming.

The FBI raided O’Keefe’s home in 2021 after he came into possession of a diary belonging to Ashley Biden. According to O’Keefe, the diary was given to him by a woman who claimed she had found it after staying in a room previously occupied by Biden’s daughter.

After President Donald Trump took office in January 2025, the Department of Justice formally dropped its investigation into O’Keefe in connection to the Ashley Biden diary and concluded the case without bringing additional charges. The DOJ added that it has “no objection to unsealing the Search Warrant Materials with redactions to protect third party privacy and law enforcement interests,” including “the search warrant application, supporting affidavit, return, and any other judicial documents filed in connection with the November 5, 2021 search warrant.”