Trump DHS Quashed Intel Brief on Russian Disinformation Attacks About Biden’s Mental Health, Reports Jon Karl
Russian intelligence operations are allegedly trying to influence the coming general election in 2020 as they did in 2016, trying to foster the idea that former Vice President Joe Biden has “poor mental health.” But according to a blockbuster report from ABC News, the Department of Homeland Security withheld publication of an intelligence briefing that warned federal agencies of the Russian influence scheme.
A DHS spokesperson reported confirmed to ABC News in a statement that the report was “delayed,” saying that “it failed to meet the agency’s standards.”
ABC News reports:
In early July the Department of Homeland Security withheld publication of an intelligence bulletin warning law enforcement agencies of a Russian scheme to promote “allegations about the poor mental health” of former Vice President Joe Biden, according to internal emails and a draft of the document obtained by ABC News.
The draft bulletin, titled “Russia Likely to Denigrate Health of US Candidates to Influence 2020 Election,” was submitted to the agency’s legislative and public affairs office for review on July 7. The analysis was not meant for public consumption, but it was set to be distributed to federal, state and local law enforcement partners two days later, on July 9, the emails show.
But as ABC News reports, a senior DHS official intervened and kept the intel bulletin from being shared, just one hour after its submission. “Please hold on sending this one out until you have a chance to speak to [acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf],” wrote DHS Chief of Staff John Gountanis, according to an email obtained by ABC News.
This occurred in early June, according to the report, which has a byline featuring four reporters, including Josh Margolin, Lucien Bruggeman, Will Steakin, and Chief White House Correspondent Jon Karl.
ABC reports seeing the draft bulletin in which analysts “determined with ‘high confidence’ that ‘Russian malign influence actors are likely to continue denigrating presidential candidates through allegations of poor mental or physical health to influence the outcome of the 2020 election.'”
President Donald Trump and the Trump campaign have repeatedly aimed to paint Vice President Biden as a mentally deficient. “Sleepy Joe” has been the derisive nickname that Trump has assigned to Biden since he emerged as a likely nominee last year.
Watch above, via ABC.
