In a significant revelation, former CIA director John Brennan has acknowledged that the letter signed by 51 former intelligence officials, which falsely claimed that Hunter Biden's laptop was Russian disinformation, was driven by political considerations. Brennan made this admission during a four-hour closed-door testimony before House Judiciary Committee investigators last week, as reported by Fox News.
Both Brennan and former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper had signed the letter, which asserted that Hunter's laptop exhibited "all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation." The deposition by Brennan follows the expectation that Clapper will provide his testimony on May 17.
Email evidence demonstrates Brennan's agreement to have his name included in the list of signatories, a decision orchestrated by then-acting CIA Director Mike Morell. Hunter Biden's laptop, notorious for its explicit photos, including those featuring Hunter engaging in illicit activities, as well as numerous emails and text messages exchanged between him and his father, has been a subject of controversy.
Furthermore, a Republican report has made shocking claims suggesting the CIA's active involvement in obtaining the signatures on the letter. The House Judiciary Committee alleges that this effort was part of a "political operation to help elect" Joe Biden in the November 2022 elections. The report alleges that a CIA employee may have assisted in soliciting signatures for the statement, and it accuses former Deputy CIA Director and Acting CIA Director Mike Morell, along with the Biden campaign, of colluding to expedite the approval of the letter.
According to the House investigative report, one of the signatories, former CIA analyst David Cariens, disclosed that a CIA employee affiliated with the agency's Prepublication Classification Review Board (PCRB) informed him about the existence of the statement and asked if he would sign it. Cariens agreed to sign at the employee's request.
The report further notes that the Committees have requested additional material from the CIA, which has yet to comply with the request. This revelation follows Morell's admission last month to the House Judiciary Committee, where he stated that he was approached by then-senior Biden campaign member and current Secretary of State Anthony Blinken to coordinate the letter. Morell claimed that Blinken asked him to gather former intelligence chiefs to assert that the laptop appeared to be part of a smear campaign.
On October 19, 2020, Morell reportedly sent the final version of the letter to the CIA's Prepublication Classification Review for review, emphasizing the urgency for its approval by calling it a "rush job."
Correspondence seen by the New York Post includes an email in which Morell asks Brennan to add his name to the signatories. Brennan promptly responds, expressing his intention to sign the letter. Similarly, emails from October 18 reveal Clapper informing Morrell of his intent to endorse the letter.
These revelations cast a shadow over the credibility and intentions behind the letter signed by former intelligence officials, adding a new dimension to the controversy surrounding Hunter Biden's laptop and its impact on the political landscape.