‘Counting On’: Will Fans Ever Find Out What Happened in the Alleged Duggar Family Raids?
The Duggar family has been putting in serious work in the last couple of weeks. While Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar have chosen to deny any allegations of a brewing legal problem outright, other members of the family have worked to distance themselves from the alleged issue. Even still, others are putting in the effort to make their lives seem entirely mundane. The Department of Homeland Security, who confirmed their presence at a Duggar-owned car lot last weekend, is keeping a lid on their current investigation, too. The lack of updates has left followers with just one question- will they ever know why HSI agents were on the scene in Northwest Arkansas?
An FOIA request has been denied
On Nov. 20, 2019, KNWA reported that agents from the Department of Homeland Security were on hand at Joshua Duggar’s car lot. Rumors also swirled that multiple cars were seen at the home of Jim Bob and Michelle, as well as at the home of Josiah Duggar. Locals initially reported that numerous raids were carried out on the family’s properties over the weekend of Nov. 16.
An HSI spokesperson was willing to confirm that the department was on hand at the Duggar family’s car lot, but no further information was released. The spokesperson would not share whom or what they were investigating, nor did he state if additional properties were searched. The initial report was tantalizing for followers, and many assumed further information wasn’t far behind. It doesn’t look like that is going to be the case.
Radar Online attempted to access files associated with the raids, but their Freedom of Information Act request was denied. The department cited invasion of privacy as the reason for the denial. The application was linked explicitly to potential raids on the Duggar family home. Further information requests have not yet been processed.
How long does a Department of Homeland Security investigation generally last?
The involvement of HSI agents indicates that something serious is afoot in Duggarland. To be clear, whatever is going on, is unlikely to be a blip on the radar. The family was not visited by local police at all. In fact, it would seem the local police had absolutely no idea something was going on. For HSI to become involved in an investigation (if there is actually an active one) indicates that there has been some form of monitoring going on behind the scenes.
Most investigations of this nature are not short-lived. Very rarely do agents leave a field office for a quick drop by, or to deal with a small, open and shut case. Instead, investigations can take weeks or months to shake out entirely. Until the Department of Homeland Security wades through information collected during their visit, the average citizen won’t be getting any information. For followers of the current drama, that means the wait could be lengthy if any further information is shared at all.
What could the federal agency be looking for?
While the Department of Homeland Security is keeping information tightly in-house at the moment, there are plenty of wild theories about what could be happening in Springdale, Arkansas. Some fans theorize that shady business dealings could have caught the eye of HSI agents. The Duggar family has been busy opening LLCs in the last 12 months. In fact, 10 LLCs have been established by the family since October 2018.
Rumors have also swirled that the raid is somehow linked to human trafficking or child pornography. There is no evidence to suggest the raid is connected to such issues. Followers who have been theorizing about such legal matters are using Josh Duggar’s previous molestation scandal as evidence. Back in 2015, it was revealed that Josh molested several of his siblings, as well as a family friend when he was a teenager. He was also outed as a serial cheater the same year. While Josh’s actions were repugnant, there is nothing that links him to current inappropriate behavior. In fact, he’s been lying exceptionally low since the back-to-back scandals.
Reddit users noted that there is a possibility that money laundering could be the issue. Josh’s car lot was allegedly illegal. He did not have a license to operate a car lot on the property, even though he owned the land. Radar Online broke the story in 2018. It is not known if Josh rectified the situation. No law enforcement agency has commented on the theory. The website for Wholesale Motorcars, the business that was reportedly visited by agents, has since been shuttered.
