{"id":1406835,"date":"2022-03-29T08:29:40","date_gmt":"2022-03-29T12:29:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1406835"},"modified":"2022-03-29T08:30:49","modified_gmt":"2022-03-29T12:30:49","slug":"cia-veteran-who-signed-hunter-biden-laptop-letter-claims-credit-for-2020-election","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/cia-veteran-who-signed-hunter-biden-laptop-letter-claims-credit-for-2020-election\/","title":{"rendered":"CIA Veteran Who Signed Hunter Biden Laptop Letter Claims Credit for 2020 Election"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fcia-veteran-who-signed-hunter-biden-laptop-letter-claims-credit-for-2020-election%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1406835&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div><\/div>\n<div class=\"RichTextArticleBody\">\n<div class=\"RichTextArticleBody-body\">\n<p><span class=\"ArticlePage-articleBody-firstLetter\">A<\/span> longtime CIA veteran who signed the <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/defense-national-security\/dem-staffer-on-jan-6-committee-was-part-of-intel-effort-to-help-biden-out-of-hunter-jam\">infamous<\/a> letter baselessly asserting Russian involvement in the Hunter Biden laptop saga said he was proud to have played his part in influencing the 2020 election in favor of President Joe Biden \u2014 before backtracking and claiming he was being sarcastic when he became embroiled in a Twitter spat with Donald Trump&#8217;s ex-intelligence chief. <\/p>\n<p>John Sipher retired in 2014 after a 28-year career in the CIA\u2019s National Clandestine Service, and he is one of the dozens of former intelligence officials who claimed the laptop story &#8220;has all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Sipher, a longtime defender of Christopher Steele&#8217;s discredited dossier, is now a <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/spycraftentertainment.com\/\">co-founder<\/a> of Spycraft Entertainment and a <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.atlanticcouncil.org\/expert\/john-sipher\/\">senior fellow<\/a> at the Atlantic Council. <\/p>\n<div class=\"Enhancement\">\n<div class=\"Enhancement-item\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Despite offering no proof, <u><a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/joe-biden\">Joe Biden\u2019s<\/a><\/u> 2020 campaign, along with many in the media, <u><a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/gop-condemns-big-tech-for-initially-censoring-hunter-biden-laptop-story\">dismissed<\/a><\/u> the laptop story as being a <u><a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/russia?utm_campaign=autolink&#038;utm_source=internal&#038;utm_medium=autolink\">Russian<\/a><\/u> disinformation operation. <\/p>\n<p>The letter hedged a bit at various times, noting that \u201cwe do not have evidence of Russian involvement.\u201d But, it said, \u201cour experience makes us deeply suspicious that the Russian government played a significant role in this case.\u201d The letter argued that \u201cif we are right, this is Russia trying to influence how Americans vote in this election\u201d and expressed \u201cour view that the Russians are involved in the Hunter Biden email issue.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>After the <i>New York Post<\/i> published emails belonging to his son, then-candidate Biden <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/white-house-wont-say-if-biden-stands-by-hunter-biden-russian-disinformation-claims\">called<\/a> the laptop story \u201cgarbage\u201d and part of a \u201cRussian plan\u201d during an October 2020 debate with then-President Donald Trump. He was referring to the <i>Politico<\/i> <u><a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2020\/10\/19\/hunter-biden-story-russian-disinfo-430276\">report<\/a><\/u> about the <u><a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/f\/?id=00000175-4393-d7aa-af77-579f9b330000\">letter<\/a><\/u> in an article titled \u201c<u><a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/hunter-biden?utm_campaign=autolink&#038;utm_source=internal&#038;utm_medium=autolink\">Hunter Biden<\/a><\/u> story is Russian disinfo, dozens of former intel officials say.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>The title was misleading because the letter never directly called it Russian \u201cdisinformation,&#8221; but Sipher himself shared the story. <\/p>\n<p><b><a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/defense-national-security\/dem-staffer-on-jan-6-committee-was-part-of-intel-effort-to-help-biden-out-of-hunter-jam\">DEMOCRATIC STAFFER ON JAN. 6 COMMITTEE SIGNED HUNTER BIDEN LETTER<\/a><\/b> <\/p>\n<p>Sipher <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/john_sipher\/status\/1505638986907365379\">claimed<\/a> last week: \u201cWe didn\u2019t say the laptop was fake but that the Russians were spinning the story to create chaos.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>When he <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/LarrySabato\/status\/1507463702181777415\">tweeted<\/a> on Friday that Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas should resign over an unrelated matter, that drew out Ric Grenell, Trump&#8217;s former acting director of national intelligence. <\/p>\n<p>On Saturday, Grenell <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RichardGrenell\/status\/1507741377941045248\">tweeted<\/a>: \u201cDidn\u2019t John Sipher sign a letter 3 weeks before the 2020 elections saying don\u2019t look at Hunter Biden\u2019s laptop because it\u2019s Russian disinformation? Now he\u2019s lecturing people about ethical behavior?! These people have no shame.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>The following day, Sipher <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/john_sipher\/status\/1508097473717407748\">tweeted<\/a>: \u201cOh, look who unblocked me so he could could [sic] spin his predictable fake lowbrow idiocy to his unfortunate followers\u2026 I guess you didn\u2019t bother to read the letter\u2026 Look who\u2019s trying to use a non-issue to be relevant.\u201d Sipher repeatedly called Grenell \u201cDick\u201d and \u201cTricky Dick.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Grenell, who is gay, <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RichardGrenell\/status\/1508129969850834948\">said<\/a> that \u201cresorting to gay slurs is what people do when they can\u2019t debate.\u201d Sipher <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/john_sipher\/status\/1508179242088996867\">contended<\/a> it was \u201ca Nixon reference.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>In <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/john_sipher\/status\/1508184039060131845\">response<\/a> to a commenter, Sipher tweeted: \u201cI lost the election for Trump? Well then I [feel] pretty good about my influence.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Grenell then <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RichardGrenell\/status\/1508193184643383296\">tweeted<\/a> that \u201cSipher proud he helped swing an election by claiming \u2018Russian disinformation.\u2019 I hope the new Republican Congress subpoenas him.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Sipher replied: \u201cHaving you far away from responsibility is a good thing. Subpoena away. You might actually read the letter first.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>He also <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/john_sipher\/status\/1508210205925990403\">tweeted<\/a>: \u201cI take special pride in personally swinging the election away from Trump.&#8221; <\/p>\n<p>Sipher <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/john_sipher\/status\/1508251002906058759\">soon<\/a> after <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/john_sipher\/status\/1508237164760473602\">claimed<\/a>: &#8220;This is called sarcasm.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>When someone called him a liar, he retorted: \u201cI guess sarcasm is too sophisticated for you. No I didn\u2019t lie. Also no, a retired guy signing a letter accurately pointing out that the Russians amplify political stupidity about a non-candidate hardly swings a National election.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Former Attorney General William Barr <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/barr-says-hunter-biden-russian-disinformation-claims-probably-affected-election-outcome\">argued<\/a> this month that the Hunter Biden letter \u201cprobably affected the outcome\u201d of the 2020 race. <\/p>\n<p>Grenell <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RichardGrenell\/status\/1508122683988275200\">tweeted<\/a> on Sunday: \u201cIs Hunter Biden\u2019s laptop \u2018Russian disinformation\u2019 as you said 3 weeks before the 2020 election? And why can\u2019t you talk to the <i>New York Post<\/i> about your claim?\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Sipher <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/john_sipher\/status\/1508123082183122951\">claimed<\/a> Grenell seemed \u201cobsessed.&#8221; <\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m obsessed with outing the people who manipulated intelligence for their partisan political gain,\u201d Grenell <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RichardGrenell\/status\/1508124358199316482\">replied.<\/a> \u201c*YOU* said Hunter\u2019s laptop was Russian disinformation. You told the public not to take the laptop seriously. You pretended to have seen intel. You didn\u2019t even get a briefing!\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Sipher <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/john_sipher\/status\/1508180274537979904\">claimed<\/a>: \u201cI did not pretend anything. Nor did the letter say the laptop wasn\u2019t Biden\u2019s. It said the Russians \u2014 and dishonest partisans like you \u2014 were amplifying and exploiting the issue to damage the U.S.\u201d He also <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/john_sipher\/status\/1508252490529132544\">tweeted<\/a> over the weekend that \u201cI don\u2019t think it was a Russian plot.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Grenell <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RichardGrenell\/status\/1508126203072299011\">said<\/a>: \u201cIf they hadn\u2019t given aid &#038; comfort to the Beijing line to not look inside the laptop then we may have known who The Big Guy was before the election.\u201d Grenell also <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RichardGrenell\/status\/1508124692829249536\">said<\/a> Sipher \u201clied about intel.&#8221; <\/p>\n<p>Sipher <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/john_sipher\/status\/1508179796064444417\">replied<\/a>: \u201cHow could I have lied about the intel? \u2026 Hardly needed intel to to [sic] see Russian disinformation.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>He <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/john_sipher\/status\/1508296014507167747\">tweeted<\/a> early Monday morning: \u201cI signed a letter I believed to be true.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>The Office of the Director of National Intelligence <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ODNIgov\/status\/1371888625613467653\">tweeted<\/a> in March 2021 it had \u201creleased the declassified Intelligence Community assessment of foreign threats to the 2020 U.S. federal elections.\u201d A few days later, Sipher <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/john_sipher\/status\/1374024622958608385\">replied,<\/a> \u201cFunny. We were told we were wrong when we signed this letter.\u201d He shared a link to the &#8220;Russian disinfo&#8221; <i>Politico<\/i> article. <\/p>\n<p><b><a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\">CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER<\/a><\/b> <\/p>\n<p>The report <u><a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/minority-view-intelligence-assessment-argues-china-2020-hurt-trump\">released<\/a><\/u> by ODNI in March 2021 concluded that Russia \u201cheavily amplified\u201d stories about Hunter Biden. But it did not reference the Hunter Biden laptop and reached no public conclusions related to it. <\/p>\n<p>Then-Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe <u><a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/john-ratcliffe-rejects-adam-schiff-claims-that-hunter-biden-laptop-is-part-of-russian-disinformation-operation\">said<\/a><\/u> in October 2020 there was no intelligence to support the laptop was part of a Russian disinformation campaign. <\/p>\n<p>Sipher <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/john_sipher\/status\/1319103260179968001\">responded<\/a> to Ratcliffe\u2019s comments saying: \u201cHe didn\u2019t say it wasn\u2019t part of a Disinfo campaign. He said we don\u2019t have intelligence to support it. \u2026 Playing games with words.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A longtime CIA veteran who signed the infamous letter baselessly asserting Russian involvement in the Hunter Biden laptop saga said he was proud to have played his part<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":498,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1406835","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1406835","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/498"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1406835"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1406835\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1406835"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1406835"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1406835"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}