Blinken denies requesting letter about Hunter Biden’s laptop.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken Denies Soliciting Letter Suggesting Hunter Biden Laptop Story Was Russian Disinformation

Secretary of State Antony Blinken has denied soliciting a letter signed by 51 former intelligence officials suggesting that the Hunter Biden laptop story could be part of a Russian disinformation operation just weeks before the 2020 election.

The Controversy

The topic came up after the GOP-led House Judiciary and Intelligence Committees disclosed portions of a transcribed interview in which former CIA Deputy Director Michael Morell talked about putting together the letter following a conversation with Blinken in October 2020.

“With regard to that letter, I didn’t – it wasn’t my idea, didn’t ask for it, didn’t solicit it,” Blinken said during a Monday interview with Fox News. “And I think the testimony that the former deputy director of the CIA, Mike Morrell, put forward confirms that.”

Secretary of State Antony Blinken denies that he asked for the letter to be written claiming the Hunter Biden laptop was Russian Disinformation and when asked if he accepts that the laptop isn’t Russian Disinformation, he says “I’m not engaging in politics”. pic.twitter.com/2spkML1B9M

— ALX 🇺🇸 (@alx) May 2, 2023

The Letter

The October 19, 2020, letter signed by 51 intelligence veterans said the laptop’s alleged contents have “all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation.” After POLITICO, the news outlet that first reported the statement, published a headline that said the former intelligence officials were claiming the story was “Russian disinfo,” then-candidate Joe Biden, Hunter’s father, used the statement to cast doubt on the laptop story during one of his debates with then-President Donald Trump weeks before the election.

The Investigation

The laptop became a subject of interest after the New York Post began reporting on details of Hunter Biden’s shady business dealings and personal life that it contained. Over the past two years, many of the contents of the laptop, which was seized by the FBI, have been analyzed and shown to be authentic. Hunter Biden is under investigation by federal prosecutors looking into potential crimes related to his tax affairs, foreign business dealings, and a gun purchase. The president’s son has said he expects to be cleared of wrongdoing.

The Response

After Congress released portions of Morell’s testimony about Blinken, Republicans began to call for the Secretary of State to resign. Meanwhile, Sens. Ron Johnson (R-WI) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) have accused Blinken of providing false testimony to Congress regarding his communications with Hunter Biden over the years. They have Read More From Original Article Here: Blinken Denies Asking For Hunter Biden Laptop Letter