Back in November, reports that Josh Duggar’s home had been raided by the FBI made their way across social media with alarming speed.
It was later revealed that the details of those reports were inaccurate, but there was truth to the claims that the Duggars were under investigation by the federal government.
We now know that Josh’s place of business was raided by Homeland Security.
The eldest son of Jim Bob and Michelle owns a used car lot, and while it’s unclear why the department may have taken an interest in his business practices, it’s worth noting that Homeland Security investigates a wide array of allegations, including those related to human trafficking.
“HSI was present there [Duggar home] pursuant to an on-going federal criminal investigation,” a government spokesperson confirmed to the local media.
“Given that there are no charges filed, HSI doesn’t discuss the nature of any type of investigation until, if or when, charges are filed,” the source added.
The Duggars were quick to issue a statement which they clearly hoped would absolve them of any wrongdoing in the eyes of fans:
“We were shocked to see a news report today state that our home was raided by federal law enforcement agencies,” the Duggars told People magazine.
“This is not true," a spokesperson for the family added.
The Duggars may have side-stepped the issue via technicality, as it’s true that their home was not raided by federal agents.
But the fact remains that the family might still be in very hot water with the federal government.
And for one Duggar, at least, the timing couldn’t be any worse.
20-year-old Jedidiah Duggar recently announced that he’s running for Arkansas state representative.
Jed is seeking a seat in the state’s 89th district, which is located in Springdale, Arkansas about 8 miles from the Duggar compound in Tontitown.
State law requires that candidates reside in the district in which they’re seeking office, and it appears that Jed has broken with family tradition by moving out of the Duggar "big house," despite the fact that he is not yet married.
Jed confirmed this fact when questioned about the investigation by local media last month:
“I don’t live there and I am not aware of any investigation,” he told the press at the time.
While he has yet to offer specifics on his new home, Jed further confirmed this week that he is no longer living under his parents’ roof:
“Having fun with the nieces and nephews!! Since a lot of us don’t live at the ‘big’ house anymore, it’s always a blast when we can get together there!! #holidayevenings #saturdaynight,” he captioned the above photo.
The post sparked some confusion among fans.
“Didn’t realize Jed had moved out,” one person wrote.
“Have you moved out of the big house then @jed_duggar?” another commented.
It’s interesting to watch Jed attempt this difficult balancing act.
He’s trying his best to maintain the usual level of Duggar secrecy, while at the same time adopting the sort of transparency that’s generally required of people running for public office.
It’s anyone’s guess whether he’ll be able to pull it off.
In the meantime, with a federal investigation ongoing, he might want to refrain from referring to his parents’ home as "the big house."
