Public Statement on the Hunter Biden Emails

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Hunter Biden and then Vice President Joe Biden Vice President Biden - 3218619335.jpg
Hunter Biden and then Vice President Joe Biden

In October 2020, a controversy emerged involving data from a laptop that belonged to Hunter Biden that was abandoned at a computer shop in 2019. [1] On October 19, 2020, a group of 51 former senior intelligence officials, who had served in four different administrations, including the Trump administration, released an open letter stating that the release of the alleged emails "has all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation".

Contents

During an interview with Fox News on October 19, 2020, Trump's National Intelligence Director John Ratcliffe said the emails were "not part of some Russian disinformation campaign" and accused Adam Schiff of mischaracterizing the views of the intelligence community by describing the alleged emails as part of a smear campaign against Joe Biden. [2] Schiff's spokesman accused Ratcliffe of "purposefully misrepresenting" Schiff's words. [3]

Signatories

NameAgencyPositions heldCurrent position
Jim Clapper DNI Director of National Intelligence (2010–2017)

Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence
Director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency

CNN National Security Analyst
Michael Hayden CIA Director, Central Intelligence Agency (2006-2009) George Mason University Visiting Professor
Leon Panetta CIA Director, Central Intelligence Agency (2009–2011)

Secretary of Defense

John Brennan CIA Director, Central Intelligence Agency (2013–2017)

White House Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Advisor
Director, Terrorism Threat Integration Center
Analyst and Operations Officer, Central Intelligence Agency

NBC News and MSNBC National Security Analyst
Thomas Fingar DNI Chair, National Intelligence Council (2005–2008)

Deputy Director of National Intelligence for Analysis
Assistant Secretary for Intelligence and Research, Department of State

Stanford University, Payne Distinguished Lecturer

National Committee on United States–China Relations, Board of Directors

Rick Ledgett NSA Deputy Director of the National Security Agency (2014–2017) M&T Bank, Board of Directors,
John McLaughlin CIA Acting Director, Central Intelligence Agency (2004)

Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency
Director of Analysis, Central Intelligence Agency
Director, Slavic and Eurasian Analysis, Central Intelligence Agency

 Johns Hopkins University Distinguished Practitioner-in-Residence
Michael Morell CIA Acting Director, Central Intelligence Agency (2012–2013)

Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency
Director of Analysis, Central Intelligence Agency

 Beacon Global Strategies Senior Counselor
Mike Vickers DoD Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence (2011–2015)

Operations Officer, Central Intelligence Agency

 BAE Systems Board of Directors
Doug Wise DIA Deputy Director Defense Intelligence Agency

Senior CIA Operations Officer

Nick Rasmussen DNI Director, National Counterterrorism Center (2014–2017)
Russ Travers DNI Acting Director, National Counterterrorism Center (2018–2020)

Deputy Director, National Counterterrorism Center
Analyst of the Soviet Union and Russia, Defense Intelligence Agency

Deputy Homeland Security Advisor
Andy Liepman DNI Deputy Director, National Counterterrorism Center

Senior Intelligence Officer, Central Intelligence Agency

 RAND Corporation, Senior Policy Analyst [4]
John Moseman CIA Chief of Staff, Central Intelligence Agency

Director of Congressional Affairs, Central Intelligence Agency
Minority Staff Director, United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence

Larry Pfeiffer CIA Chief of Staff, Central Intelligence Agency

Director, White House Situation Room

Michael V. Hayden Center for Intelligence, Policy, and International Security, George Mason University, Director
Jeremy Bash CIA Chief of Staff, Central Intelligence Agency

Chief of Staff, Department of Defense
Chief Counsel, House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence

 Beacon Global Strategies, Managing Director
Rodney Snyder CIA Chief of Staff, Central Intelligence Agency

Director of Intelligence Programs, National Security Council
Chief of Station, Central Intelligence Agency

Glenn Gerstell NSA General Counsel, National Security Agency Beacon Global Strategies [5]
David B. Buckley CIA Inspector General, Central Intelligence Agency

Democratic Staff Director, House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence
Counterespionage Case Officer, United States Air Force

 United States House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack, Staff Director [6]
Nada Bakos CIA Analyst and Targeting Officer, Central Intelligence Agency Foreign Policy Research Institute, Senior Fellow [7]
Patty Brandmaier CIA Senior Intelligence Officer, Central Intelligence Agency

Deputy Associate Director for Military Affairs, Central Intelligence Agency
Deputy Director of Congressional Affairs, Central Intelligence Agency

James B. Bruce CIA Senior Intelligence Officer, Central Intelligence Agency

Senior Intelligence Officer, National Intelligence Council

 RAND Corporation, Adjunct Researcher [8]
David Cariens CIA Intelligence Analyst, Central Intelligence Agency
Janice Cariens CIA Operational Support Officer, Central Intelligence Agency
Paul Kolbe CIA Senior Operations Officer, Central Intelligence Agency

Chief, Central Eurasia Division, Central Intelligence Agency

 Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Senior Fellow [9]
Peter Corsell CIA Analyst, Central Intelligence Agency I Squared Capital, Partner
Brett Davis CIA Senior Intelligence Officer, Central Intelligence Agency

Deputy Director of the Special Activities Center for Expeditionary Operations, CIA

New North Ventures, Partner [10]
Roger Zane George CIA National Intelligence Officer Occidental College, Professor
Steven L. Hall CIA Senior Intelligence Officer, Central Intelligence Agency

Chief of Russian Operations, Central Intelligence Agency

 CNN contributor
Kent Harrington CIA National Intelligence Officer for East Asia, Central Intelligence Agency

Director of Public Affairs, Central Intelligence Agency
Chief of Station, Central Intelligence Agency
Analyst, Central Intelligence Agency

Don Hepburn CIA Senior National Security ExecutiveBoanerges Solutions, President
Timothy D. Kilbourn CIA Dean, Sherman Kent School of Intelligence Analysis, Central Intelligence Agency

PDB Briefer to President George W. Bush, Central Intelligence Agency

Ron Marks CIA Officer, Central Intelligence Agency

Twice former staff of the Republican Majority Leader

 George Mason University, Visiting Professor
Jonna Hiestand Mendez CIA Technical Operations Officer, Central Intelligence Agency
Emile Nakhleh CIA Director of the Political Islam Strategic Analysis Program, Central Intelligence Agency

Senior Intelligence Analyst, Central Intelligence Agency

 University of New Mexico, Director of National Security Programs [11]
Gerald A. O’Shea CIA Senior Operations Officer, Central Intelligence Agency

Served four tours as Chief of Station, Central Intelligence Agency

David Priess CIA Analyst and Manager, Central Intelligence Agency

PDB Briefer, Central Intelligence Agency

 Michael V. Hayden Center for Intelligence, Policy, and International Security, George Mason University, Senior Fellow [12]
Pam Purcilly CIA Deputy Director of Analysis, Central Intelligence Agency

Director of the Office of Russian and European Analysis, Central Intelligence Agency
PDB Briefer to President George W. Bush, Central Intelligence Agency

Marc Polymeropoulos CIA Senior Operations Officer, Central Intelligence Agency

Acting Chief of Operations for Europe and Eurasia, Central Intelligence Agency

 Atlantic Council, Nonresident Senior Fellow [13]
Chris Savos CIA Senior Intelligence Officer, Central Intelligence Officer
Nick Shapiro CIA Deputy Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor to the Director, Central Intelligence Agency Tulane University [14]
John Sipher CIA Senior Operations Officer, Central Intelligence Agency

Deputy Chief of Russian Operations, Central Intelligence Agency

 Atlantic Council, Nonresident Senior Fellow [15]
Stephen Slick CIA Senior Director for Intelligence Programs, National Security Council

Senior Operations Office, Central Intelligence Agency

 University of Texas at Austin, Director of Intelligence Studies Project
Cynthia Strand CIA Deputy Assistant Director for Global Issues, Central Intelligence Agency
Greg Tarbell CIA Deputy Executive Director, Central Intelligence Agency

Analyst of the Soviet Union and Russia, Central Intelligence Agency

David Terry CIA Chairman of the National Intelligence Collection Board

Chief of the PDB, Central Intelligence Agency
PDB Briefer to Vice President Dick Cheney, Central Intelligence Agency

Greg Treverton DNI Chair, National Intelligence Council University of Southern California, Professor
John Tullius CIA Senior Intelligence Officer, Central Intelligence Agency Naval Postgraduate School, National Intelligence Chair [16]
David A. Vanell CIA Senior Operations Officer, Central Intelligence Agency


Winston Wiley CIA Director of Analysis, Central Intelligence Agency

Chief, Counterterrorism Center, Central Intelligence Agency

Kristin Wood CIA Senior Intelligence Officer, Central Intelligence Agency

PDB Briefer, Central Intelligence Agency

 Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Non-Resident Fellow [17]

In addition, nine additional former IC officers who cannot be named publicly also supported the arguments in this letter.

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References

  1. ↑ Herridge, Catherine; Kates, Graham (November 21, 2022). "Copy of what's believed to be Hunter Biden's laptop data turned over by repair shop to FBI showed no tampering, analysis says". CBS News . Archived from the original on November 22, 2022. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  2. ↑ Dilanian, Ken (October 19, 2020). "Ratcliffe says no proof, but FBI probing foreign tie to "Biden" laptop". NBC News . Archived from the original on October 21, 2020. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  3. ↑ Swanson, Ian (October 19, 2020). "Ratcliffe, Schiff battle over Biden emails, politicized intelligence". The Hill . Archived from the original on October 22, 2020. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  4. ↑ "Andrew Liepman – Foreign Policy". April 18, 2013.
  5. ↑ "Beacon Global Strategies". September 16, 2022.
  6. ↑ "Staff director for 1/6 committee accused of retaliating against whistleblower | CNN Politics". CNN . July 24, 2021.
  7. ↑ "Nada Bakos - Foreign Policy Research Institute".
  8. ↑ "James B. Bruce - Publications".
  9. ↑ "Paul Kolbe". September 20, 2023.
  10. ↑ "Brett Davis".
  11. ↑ "Emile Nakhleh".
  12. ↑ "David Priess | Lawfare".
  13. ↑ "Marc Polymeropoulos".
  14. ↑ "Nick Shapiro". July 17, 2023.
  15. ↑ "John Sipher".
  16. ↑ "John D. Tullius".
  17. ↑ "Kristin Wood". July 5, 2023.
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