CIA Contractors Colluded with Biden Campaign to Dismiss Hunter Biden Laptop

According to a joint report by three House panels, active CIA contractors "coordinated" with the Biden campaign to discredit allegations against Hunter Biden just weeks before the 2020 election. The report reveals that then-CIA Director Gina Haspel was informed about the statement dismissing the laptop before its release.

The House Judiciary Committee, its Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government, and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence released a report titled, "The Intelligence Community 51: How CIA Contractors Colluded with The Biden Campaign to Mislead American Voters." The report found that active CIA contractors worked with the Biden campaign to discredit allegations of influence peddling connected to Hunter Biden's laptop.

CIA Contractors Colluded with Biden Campaign to Dismiss Hunter Biden Laptop

On October 19, 2020, 51 former intelligence officials, including ex-CIA directors John Brennan and Leon Panetta and former DNI Jim Clapper, issued a statement dismissing the laptop as "Russian disinformation." The statement was widely cited by media outlets to discredit the allegations against Hunter Biden.

However, the report reveals that some signatories of the statement were active CIA contractors at the time, including Michael Morell and David Buckley. The report highlights concerns that Morell and Buckley received taxpayer funds while engaging in political activities on behalf of the Biden campaign.

CIA Contractors Colluded with Biden Campaign to Dismiss Hunter Biden Laptop

Internal CIA emails show that intelligence officers recognized the political nature of the statement. One officer expressed frustration, saying it was "not helpful to the Agency in the long run." Another noted that some signatories were current CIA contractors.

The report also indicates that CIA leadership, including then-Director Gina Haspel, was made aware of the statement before its release. Andrew Makridis, the CIA's chief operating officer, testified that he informed Haspel or Deputy Director Vaughn Frederick Bishop about the statement.

CIA Contractors Colluded with Biden Campaign to Dismiss Hunter Biden Laptop

The report raises concerns that CIA contractors may be engaging in partisan political activities prohibited by the Hatch Act for permanent CIA employees. The report suggests extending these prohibitions to CIA contractors.

The White House has not yet responded to the report's findings. However, the CIA has stated that the former intelligence officers who signed the letter "were not speaking for CIA." The CIA's Pre-Publication Review Board has confirmed that the information in the statement was unclassified, but that this does not constitute an endorsement of its content or veracity.

CIA Contractors Colluded with Biden Campaign to Dismiss Hunter Biden Laptop

President Biden used the statement as a "talking point" during his final debate against President Trump in 2020, claiming it proved the laptop was Russian propaganda. The New York Post's 2020 report on the laptop's contents was initially dismissed as disinformation by media outlets, but its authenticity has since been established by reputable newspapers.

The laptop re-emerged in court earlier this month when Hunter Biden faced a criminal trial over the purchase of a firearm while struggling with addiction. The trial entered the laptop into evidence and its authenticity was confirmed by the FBI.

CIA Contractors Colluded with Biden Campaign to Dismiss Hunter Biden Laptop

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner stated that the report provides evidence of coordination between 51 former intelligence officials and the Biden campaign to discredit allegations against Hunter Biden. The committee has fought to obtain classified documents from the CIA and include evidence in the report.