Staff Reports
The 2020 letter signed by 51 former intelligence officials dismissing the Hunter Biden laptop scandal as Russian disinformation turned out to be more scripted than a Hollywood movie, thanks to a convenient little phone call from then-Biden campaign advisor Antony Blinken to former Deputy CIA Director Michael Morrell. House Republicans have blown the lid off this political theater, revealing that the stunt was pulled to hand Joe Biden a debate-saving talking point against President Trump.
Michael Morrell confessed during an investigation that the letter was churned out faster than Hunter Biden could lose a laptop. It wasn’t about any real concern for national security; it was about giving Joe Biden a quick and easy way to dodge Trump’s punches in the debate ring. With transcripts in hand, the House Weaponization of the Government and Intelligence Committees showcased how a coordinated effort within the intelligence community aimed to brand the laptop story as just another Russian misdirection play.
House probe finds ‘blatant political operation’ to discredit Hunter Biden laptop storyhttps://t.co/cvLicKRBBP pic.twitter.com/2yqR0a67Im
— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) June 28, 2024
Thanks to pro-Biden operatives spoon-feeding the letter to their preferred media outlets, high-ranking CIA officials, including then-Director Gina Haspel, were in the loop way before the public got wind of it. The New York Post’s blockbuster article on October 14, 2020, which was ready to flip the 2020 election on its head, exposed the sordid escapades of Hunter Biden and tied him to shady business exploits with his influential father. Yet, the ink was barely dry on the Post’s front page before Morrell and his 51 merry men of intelligence signed off on a letter dunking the story into Russian disinformation.
Emails from Morrell at that time reveal someone more concerned with playbook politics than facts, as he crafted the letter to help Joe Biden win the election and come out swinging in the debates. And swing Biden did, using the letter as a shield during his showdown with Trump, who called out the dirty deeds of Hunter Biden’s laptop live on stage. Biden parried with the letter, citing the so-called expertise of former intelligence bigwigs to call Trump’s accusations nonsense.
Fast forward to today, and the laptop is authentic, playing a starring role in Hunter Biden’s tax fraud case. In his 2023 deposition, Morrell tried to cover his tracks by adding that the letter had caveats, insisting the signers hadn’t confirmed any Russian involvement. Of course, these “caveats” were a footnote buried in off-the-record comments to a select few media outlets, ensuring the general public remained blissfully ignorant of the letter’s speculative nature.
Some of the signers, including Morrell himself, were still on the CIA’s dime, serving as contractors. The whole operation began with Blinken’s nudge as he rehashed a USA Today piece about an FBI probe into the laptop’s origins. The tale of the laptop was skillfully smothered, blocked on social media, and sidelined by major news outlets, just as any good political cover-up should be.
Morrell hurled the letter into the media machine, hoping it would create enough noise to muffle the scandal until after the election. And while he was at it, he admitted the duel purpose of the letter—spark concern over Russia among the American voters and, conveniently, to help Biden. Well, mission accomplished, but now their tale comes with a giant asterisk of credibility.
