Blinken Denies Ties To Letter From Former Spy Agency Leaders On Hunter Biden Laptop Story: 'Wasn't My Idea'

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday denied any involvement in a letter written by 51 former spy agency leaders that aimed to question the report on Hunter Biden‘s discarded laptop.

What Happened: Blinken, in an interview with Fox News, said it "wasn't my idea" — while deflecting further questions and refusing to confirm that the laptop is genuine and not Russian disinformation.

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"With regard to that letter, I didn't — 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, Mike Morell, put forward confirms that," Blinken said. 

Why It Matters: Blinken's comments came after last month, former CIA Deputy Director Michael Morrell testified before the House Judiciary and Intelligence Committees. The former CIA official said Blinken was behind the letter that was signed by dozens of ex-national security officials in October 2020, weeks before the presidential election.

The letter claimed that Hunter’s laptop had “all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation” and was used by President Joe Biden to smear media reporting falsely.

Following Morrell's testimony, the Republican lawmakers said 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 Hunter's story and preventing American citizens from making a fully informed decision during the 2020 presidential election.”

Meanwhile, Blinken diverted further questions, saying he was "fully occupied" with other matters. When asked if he now accepts that the laptop is not a case of Russian disinformation, Blinken said, "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,” he said.

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