Jim Jordan Says New Testimony Shows Blinken, Biden Camp Behind ‘Infamous’ Letter Smearing Hunter Biden Laptop Story as Disinfo
New testimony released by House GOP leaders sheds light on the role that Joe Biden’s presidential campaign played in smearing the Hunter Biden laptop story as Russian disinformation.
In an interview with the committee, Michael Morell, the former deputy director of the CIA, testified that he signed onto a letter panning the story — which was published by the New York Post on October 14, 2020 — as likely part of a disinformation operation only after being reached out to by Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who was then serving as an advisor to the Biden campaign.
During the interview, Morell was asked if he intended on writing or signing onto any statement about the story prior to his call with Blinken. When he was asked in a follow-up if the call “triggered” such an intention, Morell replied in the affirmative.
The letter in question was used by numerous media sources and cited by Biden himself during a presidential debate not only as evidence that the contents of the Post story were false, but as evidence that the Russian government was aiding Donald Trump in his reelection bid. Further reporting has confirmed that the materials reported on by the Post were in fact genuine.
In a communique addressed to Blinken, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) and Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner (R-OH) also alleged that the Biden campaign “helped to strategize about the public release of the statement”:
Morrell testified that he sent an email telling Nick Shapiro, former Deputy Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor to the Director of the CIA John Brennan, that the Biden campaign wanted the statement to go to a particular reporter at the Washington Post first and that he should send the statement to the campaign when he sent the letter to the reporter.
Morell also testified that he had two intents in signing the letter, with one being “to share our concern with the American people that the Russians were playing on this issue” and the other being to “help Vice President Biden.”
After being pressed about why he wanted to help Biden, Morell replied “Because I wanted him to win the election.”
Jordan and Turner are asking Blinken to:
• Identify all people with whom you communicated about the inception, drafting, editing, signing, publishing, or promotion of the “Public Statement on the Hunter Biden Emails” dated October 19, 2020, during the period October 14, 2020, to November 24, 2020; and
• Produce all documents and communications referring or relating to the “Public Statement on the Hunter Biden Emails” dated October 19, 2020, sent or received between October 14, 2020, and November 24, 2020.
“It is apparent that the Biden campaign played an active role in the origins of the public statement, which had the effect of helping to suppress the Hunter Biden story and preventing American citizens from making a fully informed decision during the 2020 presidential election.” asserted the two chairmen. “Based on the information we have obtained to date, we believe that you possess material that would advance our oversight and inform potential legislative reforms.
