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What evidence supports or refutes claims that Ashley Biden showered with Joe Biden?
Executive summary
Reporting and fact-checking show Ashley Biden’s handwritten diary entries describing “showers” with her father exist and were authenticated as belonging to her; Snopes and other outlets note the diary includes a line calling those showers “probably not appropriate” [1] [2]. The FBI and some early reports did not verify the diary’s specific contents, and outlets cite differing levels of confirmation and context about whether those memories constitute an allegation of abuse [3] [2].
1. What the diary passages say and who verified authorship
Entries attributed to Ashley Biden’s personal diary include language about showering with her father as a child and describe those showers as “probably not appropriate,” a phrase repeatedly cited in fact-checking and reporting [1] [2]. Journalistic accounts and later reporting trace the diary’s chain of custody to people who took the document from a Florida residence and sold it; Project Veritas acquired the diary and did not immediately publish it, and forensic or corroborating public disclosures about every line remain limited in the public record cited here [1] [2].
2. How outlets and fact‑checkers treated the diary’s contents
Snopes has reported that the diary’s passages about showers exist and that Project Veritas obtained the document, while also documenting a history of online amplification by right‑leaning accounts [1] [2]. PolitiFact warned against treating an FBI announcement about a plea deal in the theft/sale case as confirmation of particular salacious diary contents, noting the FBI did not confirm diary contents or explicitly name Ashley Biden in its statement [3]. That distinction mattered in early public understanding: ownership/authenticity of the diary and the truth of every alleged memory inside are treated separately by fact‑checkers.
3. Legal and criminal context around the diary’s theft and sale
Reporting establishes that two Florida residents pleaded guilty related to stealing and selling the diary; Project Veritas reportedly paid for the document, and one seller was prosecuted — facts used to show the diary was a real item in circulation [1] [2]. PolitiFact notes the FBI announced a plea deal involving stolen property belonging to a politician’s family member but did not confirm specific contents, underscoring limits in what law enforcement has publicly verified [3].
4. Ashley Biden’s own statements and court filings (what sources say)
Snopes and related reporting document that Ashley Biden has acknowledged the diary as hers in court filings or related materials, which moved some outlets to update earlier “unproven” ratings to accept the document’s authenticity [2]. Available sources included here report that an admission about the diary’s authenticity occurred and that certain diary passages — including the “probably not appropriate” phrase — are in the document [2]. Exact phrasing in any public court letter and the interpretive framing of those passages remain described by these outlets rather than reproduced in full in the cited summaries [2].
5. What these sources do not establish
The provided reporting does not supply independent forensic proof in these snippets (such as contemporaneous corroboration of events, medical records, or police findings) that would legally establish criminal wrongdoing by Joe Biden; PolitiFact explicitly emphasizes the FBI did not confirm the diary’s contents in its announcement [3]. In other words, available sources here confirm the diary’s existence and authorship assertions in reporting but do not present judicial findings or criminal charges tied to the described memories [2] [3].
6. How media and partisan outlets framed the story
Conservative and partisan outlets amplified the diary’s more sensational lines and framed them as evidence of misconduct; fact-checkers like Snopes and PolitiFact documented those claims while noting contextual caveats about verification and what law enforcement stated [1] [3]. Some opinion pieces and right‑leaning commentary presented the diary as decisive proof; fact‑checking outlets and legal summaries treated the underlying claims with more caution, separating document authenticity from proof of criminal acts [2] [3].
7. Bottom line for readers
The documents and reporting in the provided sources show Ashley Biden’s diary exists, that it includes a line describing showers with her father as “probably not appropriate,” and that the diary’s sale and possession were the subject of prosecution [1] [2]. However, fact‑checking sources and the FBI statement cited here do not equate diary passages with independent legal confirmation of abuse; available sources do not mention judicial findings or forensic corroboration that resolve whether the described memories reflect criminal conduct [3] [2].