Below is my column in The Hill on the recent disclosure that the organizer of the infamous “Russian Disinformation” letter on the Hunter Biden laptop was prompted by then Biden campaign adviser Antony Blinken. He is, of course, now our Secretary of State and he follows a pattern of the “made men” of the Biden Administration.
Here is the column:
Secretary of State Antony Blinken would really, really prefer to talk about grain in Ukraine this week. But many people are less interested in what Blinken is doing as secretary of state than in what he did to become secretary of state.
This week, Blinken was implicated in a political coverup that could well have made the difference in the 2020 election. According to the sworn testimony of former acting CIA Director Michael Morrell, Blinken – then a high-ranking Biden campaign official – was “the impetus” of the false claim that the Hunter Biden laptop story was really Russian disinformation. Morrell then organized dozens of ex-national security officials to sign the letter claiming that the Hunter laptop story had “all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation.”
Morrell further admitted that the Biden campaign “helped to strategize about the public release of the statement.”
Finally, he admitted that one of his goals was not just to warn about Russian influence but “to help then-Vice President Biden in the debate and to assist him in winning the election.”
Help it did. Biden claimed in a presidential debate that the laptop story was “garbage” and part of a “Russian plan.” Biden used the letter to say “nobody believes” that the laptop is real.
In reality, the letter was part of a political plan with the direct involvement of his campaign, but Biden never revealed their involvement. Indeed, over years of controversy surrounding this debunked letter, no one in the Biden campaign or White House (including Blinken) revealed their involvement.
Of course, the letter was all the media needed. Discussion of the laptop was blocked on social media, and virtually every major media outlet dismissed the story before the election.
That was also all Biden needed to win a close election. The allegations that the Biden family had cashed in millions through influence peddling could have made the difference. It never happened, in part because of Blinken’s work.
Once in power, Blinken was given one of the top Cabinet positions. He was now one of the “made” men of the administration.
He was not alone. The 2016 election was marred by false allegations of Russian collusion with the Trump campaign. Unlike the influence peddling allegations made against Biden, the media ran with those stories for years. It later turned out that the funding and distribution of the infamous Steele dossier originated with the Clinton campaign. The campaign, however, reportedly lied in denying any such funding until after the election. It was later sanctioned for hiding the funding as legal expenses.
Those involved in spreading this false story were rewarded handsomely. For example, the second collusion story planted in the media by the campaign concerned the Russian Alfa Bank. The campaign used key Clinton aide Jake Sullivan, who went public with the entirely false claim of a secret back channel between Moscow and the Trump campaign.
Sullivan was also a “made” man who was later made Biden’s national security adviser. Others who were implicated in either the Steele dossier or Alfa Bank hoaxes also later found jobs in the administration. The Brookings Institution proved a virtual turnstile for these political operatives.
Many signatories on the Russian disinformation letter continue to flourish. MSNBC analyst Jeremy Bash signed the letter and was put on the president’s Intelligence Advisory Board. As with Sullivan, it did not seem to matter that Bash had gotten one of the most important intelligence stories of the election wrong.
Former CIA head James Clapper was referenced by Biden on the letter and was also a spreader of the Russian collusion claims. Despite those scandals and a claim of perjury, CNN gave him a media contract.
They are all “made” men in the Beltway, but they could not have succeeded without a “made” media.
These false stories planted by the Clinton and Biden campaigns succeeded only because the media played an active and eager role. In any other country, this pattern would fit the model of a state media and propaganda effort. However, there was no need for a central ministry when the media quickly reinforced these narratives. This is a state media by consent rather than coercion. The Biden campaign knew that reporters would have little interest or curiosity in how the letter came about or the involvement of campaign operatives.
If Republicans did not control the House of Representatives, the Morrell admission would never have occurred. The Democrats repeatedly blocked efforts to investigate this story and the influence peddling allegations. Even this week, some Democrats called it a “tabloid story.”
Given the career paths of figures such as Blinken and Sullivan, there is a concern that other officials may see the value in “earning their bones” as “made” men and women. There is now a senior IRS career official who is seeking to disclose what he claims was special treatment given to Hunter Biden in the criminal investigation.
While the 51 former intelligence figures were eager to raise Russian disinformation claims before the election, most have become silent. After all, the letter served its purpose, as Morrell indicated, “to assist [Biden] in winning the election.” After the false stories planted before the 2016 and 2020 elections, the question is what is in store for 2024?
Jonathan Turley is the Shapiro Professor of Public Interest Law at George Washington University. Follow him on Twitter @JonathanTurley.
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The election was indeed stolen.
Compare “51 retired Intel officals….”
A consensus of 90% scientist agree Carbon is the the cause of CAGW
The left has been busy for decades using he logical fallacy, appeal to authority.
Whole reading instead of phonics, and all manner of other educational slight of hand. Required to justify a college degree, when teaching a kid to read is not complicated.
The food pyramid
All manner of ills have been propagated by the government, using the logical fallacy, appeal to authority
Anonymous said: At least men can compete in women’s sports. Let’s not lose sight of what’s important.
I agree, that’s the most important thing. Actually it’s tied for number one. In addition to men in women’s sports – and women’s showers, locker rooms, bathrooms, and prison. – we now have relief from the following abject failures of the Trump administration that caused Americans so much pain:
(1) energy independence, (2) energy exporting, (3) affordable gas and groceries, (4) low inflation, (5) historically low unemployment especially for minorities, (6) highest real wages in half a century, (7) high property values, (8) high stock market, (9) violent crime under control, (10) border under control, Title 42 and remain-in-Mexico enforced, thus reducing human sex trafficking and deadly fentanyl infiltration into U.S. communities, as well as drowning and heat deaths of the migrants themselves (mostly children), (11) funding of police, (12) no war in Europe, (13) criminal justice reform, (14) trade deals benefiting America, (15) reduction of regulatory burden on small businesses, (16) no being beholden to globalist elites (e.g., Davos crowd) who despise free markets and America’s economic system, (17) no political weaponization of the Justice Department or FBI, (18) no labeling of concerned parents as domestic terrorists, (19) no wokeness in the military, (20) no catastrophic Afghanistan withdrawal weakening America’s position in the world, (21) China and Russia don’t dare act aggressively, and they’re not allied with each other against us, (22) no being in thrall to the green cultism and waging war on our best energy sources thereby depressing civilization into a state of poverty (23) no slandering half of the American electorate as alleged fascists (fascist now means someone who wants to *reduce* size and power of the central government and to *oppose* state-corporate joint action to suppress dissent).
oldman– Let’s not forget one of the most important reliefs from Americans’ pain: No more mean tweets!
Clearly this administration is corrupt to the core, through and through.
And the media is giving this administration a pass.
It has been two years and Biden had given a whopping 54 interviews. At this point in his administration Trump gave 202. Obama, 275.
This was the administration that was supposed to be the adults back in the room. The administration that would bring back “norms,” and “transparency.”
This administration is anything but those things.
Ham and cheese sandwich! 2024! Deli meat and dairy products are more appealing than Biden/Harris!
To the Bidens, Blinkens, and Clintons of the world, the end justifies the means. ANY means. They all claim to be patriotic in the media but in reality, they could care less if they lie to the American people. They don’t give a s*** about this country and never will. It’s always about them. Thank you, Jonathan, for an excellent article that very few people will actually write.
I’m just waiting for the first s@@tlib to call you a ‘nazi’ for writing this. And be careful, about ‘made men’, I recommend you learn how to use firearms for your own sake. All done in the name of love and tolerance though.
And I’m waiting for the first s@@tlib to admit, yes the Biden campaign did it, but it was necessary and just.
And no, calling me a ‘nazi’ is not a reply.
antonio
It’s absolutely sad that we have reached this level of corruption, which is the real threat to democracy.
At least men can compete in women’s sports. Let’s not lose sight of what’s important.
And meanwhile, even though some scraps of truth are finally starting to be pasted together in the rearview mirror by the totally-derelict news media, Rupert Murdoch’s duplicitous Garbage Fox “News” site has joined the rest of the lying, criminal Anti-Trump Garbage media in spewing daily propaganda with intent to manipulate the NEXT election.
These disclosures regarding Blinken et al belatedly referenced by Professor Turley concerning “the 51 former intelligence figures” come YEARS too late, as the modus operandi of the ongoing criminal media conspiracy continues to be focused on staying well AHEAD of any revelations regarding past misconduct by churning out nonstop misinformation in the present.
Currently, Garbage Fox is promoting Jeb DeSantis like he’s the greatest thing since Cheese Whiz and not a lying globalist puppet fraud of the democrat-republican Uniparty. Don’t hold your breath while waiting for information about THAT to be covered by the lying Garbage media.
These are the fraudulent events that are moving forward while Professor Turley belatedly tries to catch up with the past, doing the equivalent of a safety inspection of the Hindenburg zeppelin 2 years AFTER the crash.
The bottom line is that an autopsy isn’t much of a substitute for a timely checkup that could have prevented the death.
You should be focusing on the Don and his made men. It’s such a joke for you to project on Biden the Trump fantasy that he is a Mafia don.
Jusrice Holmes: Focus on Trump? Isn’t that what the corrupt media has been doing for the last decade? In case you haven’t noticed, it’s the Biden crime family that is currently in power, so that’s where the focus needs to be. Anything else is smoke and mirrors. And BTW, if two impeachment attempts and numerous lawsuits could only result in a charge of paying off a hooker, maybe you libtards should start examining your own house of cards.
And some on this board will continue to deny any corruption. When I asked, “is this not corrupt?” last week, I got a number of responses saying, in effect, “no way.” Before taking such a position, people should ask themselves, what if this was done by the political party I oppose?
I used to think that corporate media often acted as the propaganda arm of the democrat party and the coastal leftist elite, but I now think that view missed the key point. Corporate media is, in fact, a co-conspirator jointly pushing a shared ideology.
Corporate media is, in fact, a co-conspirator jointly pushing a shared ideology.
It’s hard to tell if the media is the leader, and Dems just follow along. I dont remember the event, but it was breaking news, while congress was in DC. The media on Capitol Hill asked Dems about the new reporting, and none of them had any comment. The media came out with talking points and by late afternoon, the Dems had just adopted the media talking points, but were still unable to discuss the story, because they didn’t know anything….but we are to believe the media just reports the facts.
But no matter, we will soon have the trolls show up claiming the opposite. If they bother to provide a source for their opinion, it will be the same discredited media, that more than likely pushing leftist narrative, absent facts.
“After the false stories planted before the 2016 and 2020 elections, the question is what is in store for 2024?”
Does it matter? The Republic is dead.
One correction to the article. “In any other country, this pattern would fit the model of a state media and propaganda effort.” It is the model in the country, time we admit our government is corrupt to the core at the highest levels.
Do not forgot Susan Rice- Director of the Domestic Policy Council who insisted that the takeover of the Counselate in Benghazi was over a video that no one saw…
David, thanks for your great comment. This lying radical went on FIVE Sunday shows repeating a known lie and she ended up as a top advisor to Biden. She is why the border is open, inflation is raging, we have a war in Europe and high crime in our cities. Rice’s problem is that she thinks she is Obama and that she should have been the first black and female president. Thank heavens she is resigning today.
In a just society all of those involved in those corrupt schemes would find themselves as wards of the government instead of running it.
What this sordid account proves without any doubt is the Democrat Party is corrupt, guilty of conspiracy, and will do or say whatever it takes to gain and hold power and cannot be trusted to honor the Constitution or the Rule of Law.
At some point. it shall fall to the People to sort out this mess and when that day comes it shall be very ugly….but necessary if this great experiment called America is to survive.
How it happens is the unknown.
What strikes me about this story is that Michael Morrell apparently testified truthfully. He must be the only Biden supporter who demonstrates honesty. This White House lies so much it’s difficult to keep track.
Those 51 names should be constantly publicized
By who? ny times? cnn? wash po? msnbc?
If they actually did, would progressive clown care?
As long as progressive clowns can get 36 week abortions, they are happy.
Here, in alphabetical order: Nada Bakos, Jeremy Bash, Patty Brandmaier, John Brennan, James B. Bruce, David B. Buckley, David Cariens, Janice Cariens, Jim Clapper, Peter Corsell, Brett Davis, Thomas Finger, Roger Zane George, Glenn Gerstell, Steven L. Hall, Kent Harrington, Mike Hayden, Don Hepburn, Rick Ledgett, Timothy D. Kilbourn, Paul Kolbe, Andy Liepman, Ron Marks, John McLaughlin, Jonna Hiestand Mendez, Emile Nakhleh, Michael Morell, John Moseman, Gerald A. O’Shea, Leon Panetta, Larry Pfeiffer, Marc Polymeropoulos, David Priess, Pam Purcilly, Nick Rasmussen, Chris Savos, Nick Shapiro, John Sipher, Stephen Slick, Rodney Snyder, Cynthia Strand, Greg Tarbell, David Terry, Russ Travers, Greg Treverton, John Tullius, David A. Vanell, Mike Vickers, Winston Wiley, Doug Wise and Kristin Wood.
They’re nothing but “me, too”s who never bothered to investigate the story. Which begs the question: Which ones, if any, are actually ‘intelligent’?
Excellent point.
With EVERY peek we get into “the deep state” or just government generally, we should ALWAYS take note of how NOT expert these people actually are.
Forget political bitterness regarding Fauxi – just look at his overall skill level at navigating Covid. What about what he did, about his judgement is impressive ?
These 51 intelligence experts are purported the Cream of the crop in US intelligence.
Again what is impressive about their assessment ?
These people – or others like them are the same people advising the president – and I do not care if we are talking Trump, Obama, Biden. Bush, …
THESE are the people who are providing the day to day assessments of Russia, Iran, China, ….
These guys are NOT Henry Kissinger.
It is NOT all that hard to look at the contents of the HB laptop and establish to a high degree of certainty whether it is real or propoganda fairly quickly.
Glenn Greenwald provided an excellent explanation in his Oct. 2020 article on the laptop.
To be legitimate EVERYTHING has to perfectly fit with known or knowable facts and with the rest of the content.
All the meta data must be perfect and it all has to agree with all kinds of other things we know or can know.
Was Hunter in mexico at the time a photo was taken of or by him in mexico.
If an email has senders and recipients – can you verify any/all of them.
Can you get the same information from any other source.
Getting everything right – if the contents are legitimate – is trivial – reality does not conflict with itself.
Getting it all right if you are trying to create “disinformation” is impossibly heard.
Get one thing wrong anywhere and you discredit everything.
Regardless, while I am dwelling on how you verify content like this – the BIGGER point is that all these guys KNOW or SHOULD KNOW.
There is no “this looks like Russian Disinformation” – either everything clicks and it is legitimate, or it does not, and it is disinformation.
I would further note that if it were disinformation – it is HIGHLY UNLIKELY that is is all or mostly fraudulent.
There is an excellent novel “the man who never was” and I beleive a movie, though not of the same name. About a WWII operation for trick the Nazi’s into preparing for an invasion at the wrong location.
This is a good primer of the massive amount of effort to get something like this perfect – and the dangers. If you try to deceive people – and get it wrong,
Then you end up telling them what you are up to. The most important rule for a decpeiton like this is that 99% of everything must be True.
And that is also the problem that the Biden’s have in this. It is highly unlikely that the NY Post has vetted every single thing on the HB laptop.
But it is certain they have very carefully vetted everything they published.
It matters little is 1% of the content of the laptop is fraudulent – if what gets published is ONLY what is true.
Back to my point – Either these people – supposedly the best of the best are really very stupid – if so why are THEY heading up our government,
Or there are very very political and willing to lie about anything – if so why are THEY heading our government ?
I was listening to the testimony of an economist from EPA yesterday in congress. This guy repeated OVER AND OVER the claim that various forms of green energy were cheaper that Fossil fuels. He had no evidence to back that up. He could not even cite any actually studies – with enough specificity to find them in a google search. But he swore repeatedly that various forms of green energy were cheaper than Fossil Fuels.
That is completely BOGUS. There are some very specific and narrow circumstances in Which SOME forms of “green Energy” are cost effective compared to fosil fuels. Solar Power in about the most expensive portions of the country – with subsidies, as a SUPLIMENTAL source of energy is cheaper than Fossil Fuels.
But there is no situation at all today in which any form of “green energy” (except hydro) is capable of cost effectively functioning as primary power.
Nor is that likely to change fast.
All this economist did was prove he is either a moron or politically warped.
And we get this nonsense from those in government – especially on the left constantly.
“Pay no attention to the powerless man behind the curtain – I am the great and powerful OZ and I know all”
And it is complete BS.
The reason that left wing nuts seek to “cancel” college speakers that challenge their views – is because they can not win the debate with them.
Blinken gets rewarded for doing Biden’s dirty deeds… Did he do it knowing the reward ahead of time? If so when is it no a quid quo pro?