US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has claimed that he was not behind a letter signed by 51 former intelligence officials in October 2020 that sought to discredit the Hunter Biden laptop story as part of a purported Russian disinformation campaign.
"[…] With regard to that letter, I didn't – it wasn't my idea, didn't ask for it, didn't solicit it. And I think the testimony that the former deputy director of the CIA [Central Intelligence Agency], Mike Morrell, put forward confirms that," Blinken told a US news network.
When asked whether he accepts that the laptop is not Russian disinformation, the top US diplomat deflected the question, arguing that he is very busy with other matters.
"From my perspective, I’m not engaging in politics. I’ve got a lot on my agenda, things that we’ve just talked about — trying to help the Ukrainians in the Russian aggression against them, engaging with allies and partners around the world in dealing with some of the challenges posed by China. We have a situation now in Sudan. This has fully occupied my time. So that’s where my focus is," Blinken said.
The remarks come after House judiciary chair Jim Jordan and House intel head Mike Turner said last week that the lawmakers are requesting information from Blinken after new testimony revealed the top diplomat's ties to a statement falsely claiming that reports about Hunter Biden’s abandoned laptop were Russian disinformation.
“We are examining the origins of the infamous public statement signed by 51 former intelligence officials that falsely discredited a New York Post story regarding Hunter Biden’s laptop as supposed Russian disinformation. As part of our oversight, we have learned that you played a role in the inception of this statement while serving as a Biden campaign advisor, and we, therefore, request your assistance with our oversight,” the two stressed in a letter to Blinken.
They added that their panels recently conducted an interview with former Deputy CIA Director Michael Morell, one of the 51 signatories to the above-mentioned statement, and that he testified that the intent of the statement was to help Joe Biden in a presidential debate and assist him in winning the election.
"Based on Morell’s testimony, 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," the letter read.
Jordan and Turned urged Blinken to provide information about communications related to the Hunter Biden story and the related statement no later than May 4.
The House panels are requesting Blinken’s assistance in a personal, not professional, capacity due to the events occurring prior to his confirmation as Secretary of State, when he worked as senior advisor to then-Democratic candidate Joe Biden’s presidential campaign, according to the letter.
'Laptop From Hell' Saga
The content of the so-called "laptop from Hell", including naked photos and graphic videos of Hunter Biden, is part of the ongoing federal investigation into whether the US President's son violated US laws when he engaged in financial and business dealings in foreign countries during his father’s vice presidency between 2009 and 2017.
In addition, federal agents are probing the younger Biden for reportedly obtaining what they claim is “sufficient evidence” to charge the 52-year-old with tax crimes and lying about his drug abuse to buy a gun.
President Joe Biden has repeatedly dismissed any knowledge of his son’s business activities, with most US news outlets and social media companies successfully shielding him from the laptop-related revelations ahead of the 2020 presidential election campaign, when they were written off as part of a “Russian disinformation operation.”
In 2022, however, two influential US newspapers made a U-turn, confirming that the laptop was authentic and that the damning information contained within the device was genuine.