{"id":1456155,"date":"2022-04-28T06:59:34","date_gmt":"2022-04-28T10:59:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1456155"},"modified":"2022-04-28T07:00:26","modified_gmt":"2022-04-28T11:00:26","slug":"new-biden-disinformation-chief-is-fan-of-trump-dossier-author-casted-doubt-on-hunters-laptop","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/new-biden-disinformation-chief-is-fan-of-trump-dossier-author-casted-doubt-on-hunters-laptop\/","title":{"rendered":"New Biden \u201cDisinformation\u201d Chief Is Fan of Trump Dossier Author, Casted Doubt on Hunter\u2019s Laptop"},"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\">30<\/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%2Fnew-biden-disinformation-chief-is-fan-of-trump-dossier-author-casted-doubt-on-hunters-laptop%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=1456155&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\">T<\/span>he Biden administration&#8217;s new czar to combat disinformation has a history of sharing misleading claims about British ex-spy <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/christopher-steele-holds-firm-on-defending-discredited-dossier\">Christopher Steele\u2019s<\/a> discredited dossier and downplaying controversy embroiling President <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/white-house\">Joe Biden<\/a>&#8216;s son. <\/p>\n<p>Nina Jankowicz, who was a disinformation fellow at the Wilson Center and adviser to the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry as part of the Fulbright Public Policy Fellowship, confirmed a report Wednesday that she has been named executive director of the Department of Homeland Security\u2019s new \u201c<a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/defense-national-security\/washington-post-contributor-faces-disinformation-charges-in-russia\">Disinformation<\/a> Governance Board.&#8221; <\/p>\n<div class=\"Enhancement\">\n<div class=\"Enhancement-item\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\u201cHonored to be serving in the Biden Administration\u2019s Department of Homeland Security and helping shape our counter-disinformation efforts,\u201d Jankowicz <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/wiczipedia\/status\/1519274470049042432\">tweeted<\/a>, sharing the <i>Politico<\/i> <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/newsletters\/playbook\/2022\/04\/27\/fauci-pulls-out-of-whcd-is-biden-next-00028131\">article<\/a> about the hire that said she would \u201ccoordinate countering misinformation related to homeland security\u201d and focus on Russia. Jankowicz has written two books: <i>How To Lose The<\/i> <i>Information War: Russia, Fake News, and The Future Of Conflict<\/i> and <i>How to Be a Woman Online: Surviving Abuse and Harassment, and How to Fight Back<\/i>. <\/p>\n<p>But there&#8217;s a lot to unpack before she even gets started in her new role. The <i>Washington Examiner<\/i> dove into her comments in recent years. For one, Jankowicz touted <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/christopher-steele-holds-firm-on-defending-discredited-dossier\">Steele\u2019s thoughts<\/a> on disinformation. <\/p>\n<p>On Aug. 7, 2020, Jankowicz <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/wiczipedia\/status\/1291692143262814209\">tweeted<\/a> about an appearance Steele made on the <i>Infotagion<\/i> <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/infotagion\/status\/1291630152242216960\">podcast<\/a>. \u201cListened to this last night \u2014 Chris Steele (yes THAT Chris Steele) provides some great historical context about the evolution of disinfo. Worth a listen,&#8221; she said. <\/p>\n<p>Steele is perhaps best known in the United States for his anti-Trump dossier, which Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz <u><a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/doj-inspector-general-criticizes-fbis-entire-chain-of-command-in-carter-page-fisa-process\">concluded<\/a><\/u> in December 2019 played a &#8220;central and essential&#8221; role in the FBI&#8217;s effort to obtain wiretap orders against former Trump campaign associate Carter Page. <\/p>\n<p>Steele\u2019s alleged main source, Igor Danchenko, was <u><a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/steeles-main-dossier-source-arrested-in-durham-investigation-report\">charged<\/a><\/u> \u201cwith five counts of making false statements to the FBI,\u201d which John Durham claims he made about the information he provided to Steele for his discredited dossier. Horowitz said FBI interviews with Danchenko \u201craised significant questions about the reliability of the Steele election reporting\u201d and <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/after-indictment-of-steele-source-question-remains-whether-durham-will-charge-fbi-agents-or-leaders\">concluded<\/a> that Danchenko \u201ccontradicted the allegations of a \u2018well-developed conspiracy\u2019 in\u201d Steele\u2019s dossier. <\/p>\n<p><b><a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/musk-critiques-twitter-over-hunter-biden-laptop-censorship-and-trump-russia-story\">ELON MUSK CRITIQUES TWITTER OVER HUNTER BIDEN LAPTOP CENSORSHIP AND TRUMP-RUSSIA COLLUSION<\/a><\/b> <\/p>\n<p>Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/LindseyGrahamSC\/status\/939157000822362112\">tweeted<\/a> Dec. 8, 2017, \u201cWas there collusion between DOJ and Fusion GPS to use Democratic funded dossier for political and legal purposes?\u201d Jankowicz replied that \u201cyour party funded the dossier first\u201d and <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/wiczipedia\/status\/939157661022674948\">tweeted<\/a> April 22, 2020, that \u201cyou\u2019re probably aware that [the Steele dossier] began as a Republican opposition research project.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>But Steele <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/clinton-campaign-elias-dnc-and-fusion-gps-battle-durham\">created<\/a> his <u><a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/democratic-lawyer-sussmann-doesnt-want-steele-dossier-brought-up-during-durham-trial\">discredited anti-Trump dossier<\/a><\/u> after being hired in early 2016 by the opposition firm Fusion GPS, which was itself hired by the Perkins Coie law firm and Marc Elias, the <u><a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/steele-dossier-funder-marc-elias-testified-before-john-durhams-grand-jury\">general counsel<\/a><\/u> for Hillary Clinton\u2019s presidential campaign. <\/p>\n<p>The conservative <i>Free Beacon<\/i> <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/freebeacon.com\/uncategorized\/fusion-gps-washington-free-beacon\/\">said<\/a> in October 2017 that it had \u201cno knowledge of or connection to the Steele dossier&#8221; and &#8220;did not pay for the dossier.&#8221; <\/p>\n<p>Jankowicz also <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/wiczipedia\/status\/1252928977586524161\">said<\/a> in April 2020 that \u201cthe inclusion of the Steele dossier didn\u2019t influence the conclusions of the [intelligence community assessment].\u201d <\/p>\n<p>However, FBI Director James Comey and FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe fought to <u><a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/comey-and-mccabe-fought-to-include-steele-dossier-in-intelligence-assessment-on-russian-interference\">include<\/a><\/u> information from Steele\u2019s dossier in the January 2017 ICA on Russian election interference. Although the CIA and NSA ultimately overruled their efforts, the dossier was still summarized in a classified annex attached to the report. <\/p>\n<p>Jankowicz also <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/defense-national-security\/stay-silent-or-double-down-what-hunter-biden-intel-letter-signees-are-doing-now\">cast doubt<\/a> on the Hunter Biden laptop story while falsely claiming an intelligence community report on foreign meddling referenced it. In particular, she played a key role in trying to shoot down reports by the <i>New York Post<\/i> about the contents of the laptop believed to have belonged to the younger Biden. <\/p>\n<p>The <i>Associated Press<\/i> <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/election-2020-joe-biden-donald-trump-ukraine-elections-134406f28e826380924bbcf773d2c05a\">ran<\/a> a story Oct. 14, 2020, reporting, \u201cDisinformation experts say there are multiple red flags that raise doubts about their authenticity, including questions about whether the laptop actually belongs to Hunter Biden, said Nina Jankowicz.\u201d The report quoted her as saying that \u201cwe should view it as a Trump campaign product.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Jankowicz shared a report Oct. 22, 2020, she <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/wiczipedia\/status\/1319251093298302976\">said<\/a> was \u201ccasting yet more doubt on the provenance of the <i>New York Post<\/i>&#8216;s Hunter Biden story.\u201d And she <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/wiczipedia\/status\/1319257015651368960\">tweeted<\/a> that day, \u201cThe emails don\u2019t need to be altered to be part of an influence campaign. Voters deserve that context, not a [fairy] tale about a laptop repair shop.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>She <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/wiczipedia\/status\/1319463138107031553\">tweeted<\/a> during that night\u2019s presidential debate, \u201cBack on the \u2018laptop from hell,\u2019 apparently \u2014 Biden notes 50 former natsec officials and 5 former CIA heads that believe the laptop is a Russian influence op. Trump says \u2018Russia, Russia, Russia.\u2019\u201d She <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/wiczipedia\/status\/1519438518551994369\">tweeted<\/a> Wednesday, \u201cFor those who believe this tweet is a key to all my views, it is simply a direct quote from both candidates during the final presidential debate.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Joe Biden was referring to a <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 Despite offering no proof, Joe <u><a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/joe-biden\">Biden\u2019s<\/a><\/u> 2020 presidential 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 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>John Ratcliffe, former President Donald <u><a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump?utm_campaign=autolink&#038;utm_source=internal&#038;utm_medium=autolink\">Trump<\/a><\/u>\u2019s director of national intelligence, said in October 2020 that there was &#8220;no intelligence&#8221; the laptop story was a Russian invention. <\/p>\n<p>Jankowicz <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/wiczipedia\/status\/1319984496171769858\">tweeted<\/a> Oct. 24, 2020, about &#8220;the nuance of the alleged Biden laptop kerfuffle.&#8221; <\/p>\n<p>She later <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/wiczipedia\/status\/1371889543582990336\">tweeted<\/a> March 16, 2021, that the intelligence community \u201chas a high degree of confidence that the Kremlin used proxies to push influence narratives, including misleading or unsubstantiated claims about President Biden.\u201d She claimed this was \u201ca clear nod to the alleged Hunter laptop.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>But 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 Joe Biden&#8217;s Office of the Director of National Intelligence in March 2021 did not reference the laptop story and reached no public conclusions on it. <\/p>\n<p>Jankowicz said on NPR\u2019s <i>On Point<\/i> on Oct. 26, 2020, \u201cI hesitate to make a conjecture about whether a foreign adversary is even involved.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>She <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wbur.org\/onpoint\/2020\/10\/26\/the-anatomy-of-an-election-disinformation-campaign\">pointed<\/a> to Rudy Giuliani and Steve Bannon\u2019s involvement, then said, \u201cWe know, for instance, Russia has hacked documents and then put in forged documents among them \u2014 this is a tactic they\u2019ve used for decades, in fact \u2014 or whether they were stolen by a domestic adversary. All of this is important context for voters, and right now, we don\u2019t have any of that context.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>She also tried to cast doubt on the Iranian regime interfering in 2020 to hurt Trump&#8217;s chances of being reelected. <\/p>\n<p>Ratcliffe and FBI Director Christopher Wray <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/trump-targeted-by-tehran-as-russians-and-iranians-meddle-in-2020-election-intel-officials-say\">held<\/a> an Oct. 21, 2020, press conference and warned that Russia and Iran had gained access to U.S. voter registration information. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have already seen Iran sending spoofed emails designed to intimidate voters, incite social unrest, and damage President Trump. &#8230; These actions are desperate attempts by desperate adversaries,\u201d Ratcliffe said. <\/p>\n<p>NPR played audio by Florida voter Rebecca Connors, who received one of the alleged Iranian emails, and she rejected Ratcliffe\u2019s conclusion. \u201cI didn\u2019t need this email to associate [Trump] with the Proud Boys \u2026 so I personally don\u2019t buy that argument,&#8221; she said. <\/p>\n<p>Jankowicz also rejected Ratcliffe\u2019s conclusion. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think Rebecca is exactly right,\u201d she said, adding, \u201cThese are designed to suppress voters, first of all, and they\u2019re also designed to cause chaos and confusion and distrust in the system writ large.\u201d Jankowicz criticized Ratcliffe, saying he was \u201cmaking it look like these campaigns are seeking to target President Trump, when in reality it\u2019s about targeting our democracy.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>But the 2021 ODNI report concluded that the Iranian regime \u201ccarried out a multi-pronged covert influence campaign intended to undercut&#8221; Trump&#8217;s reelection prospects. <\/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>In addition, Jankowicz criticized Ratcliffe\u2019s \u201creally bizarre decision to declassify some unverified intelligence about the 2016 election that kind of dredged up the whole Hillary Clinton email scandal and the hack and leak operation perpetrated by the Russians, and again, that seemed like a political decision designed to help President Trump.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Ratcliffe <u><a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/trump-intel-chief-declassifies-john-brennan-notes-and-cia-referral-on-unverified-report-about-clinton-plan-to-create-trump-russia-scandal\">declassified<\/a><\/u> in the fall of 2020 two <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/ratcliffe-says-all-kinds-of-intelligence-showed-fake-russia-collusion\">heavily redacted<\/a> Russia-related documents, including handwritten notes from former CIA Director John Brennan showing he briefed then-President Barack Obama in 2016 on an unverified Russian intelligence report. The report claimed Clinton planned in July 2016 on tying then-candidate <u><a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump?utm_campaign=autolink&#038;utm_source=internal&#038;utm_medium=autolink\">Trump<\/a><\/u> to Russia\u2019s hack of the Democratic National Committee to distract from the controversy surrounding her improper use of a private email server.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Biden administration&#8217;s new czar to combat disinformation has a history of sharing misleading claims about British ex-spy Christopher Steele\u2019s discredited dossier and downplaying controversy embroiling President Joe<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":498,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1456155","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\/1456155","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=1456155"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1456155\/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=1456155"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1456155"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1456155"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}