Rogue CIA Agent Caught Covering Up Hunter Biden’s Crimes

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OPINION: This article contains commentary which may reflect the author’s opinion

A veteran CIA officer who signed a letter arguing that Russians were behind the Hunter Biden laptop saga said he doesn’t regret playing a role in swaying the 2020 election for Joe Biden – before backtracking and arguing he was just being sarcastic when he decided to engage in a Twitter spat with Trump’s ex-intelligence chief

The former CIA official, John Sipher, who retired in 2014 after a 28-year career in the National Clandestine Service, is one of many former intelligence officials who believe the laptop story “has all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation.”

Sipher, a fierce defender of Christopher Steele’s discredited dossier, is now a co-founder of Spycraft Entertainment and a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council.

The Joe Biden 2020 campaign, as well as many in the media, dismissed the laptop story as part of a Russian disinformation campaign without providing evidence.

The letter acknowledged that “we do not have evidence of Russian involvement.” Nevertheless, “our experience makes us deeply suspicious that the Russian government played a significant role in this case.” The letter asserted that “if we are right, this is Russia trying to influence how Americans vote in this election” as well as “our view that the Russians are involved in the Hunter Biden email issue.”

As a result of the New York Post publication of his son’s emails, then-candidate Biden referred to the laptop story as “garbage” and part of a “Russian plot” during a debate with then-President Donald Trump in October 2020. He was alluding to the Politico article about the letter with the screaming headline “Hunter Biden story is Russian disinfo, dozens of former intel officials say.”

In fact, the letter never directly stated it was Russian “disinformation.” However, Sipher himself posted the story on social media.

Last week, Sipher said: “We didn’t say the laptop was fake but that the Russians were spinning the story to create chaos.”

In a tweet on Friday, Sipher remarked about the ethical behavior of public officials. That drew the attention of Ric Grenell, Trump’s former acting director of national intelligence.

In a tweet on Saturday, Grenell wrote: “Didn’t John Sipher sign a letter 3 weeks before the 2020 elections saying don’t look at Hunter Biden’s laptop because it’s Russian disinformation? Now he’s lecturing people about ethical behavior?! These people have no shame.”

Sipher tweeted the next day: “Oh, look who unblocked me so he could could [sic] spin his predictable fake lowbrow idiocy to his unfortunate followers… I guess you didn’t bother to read the letter… Look who’s trying to use a non-issue to be relevant.” Spher repeatedly referred to Grenell as “Dick” and “Tricky Dick.”

Grenell, who is actually gay, told Sipher that “resorting to gay slurs is what people do when they can’t debate.” Sipher contended it was “a Nixon reference.”

Responding to a commenter, Sipher tweeted: “I lost the election for Trump? Well then I [feel] pretty good about my influence.”

Afterward, Grenell tweeted, “Sipher proud he helped swing an election by claiming ‘Russian disinformation.’ I hope the new Republican Congress subpoenas him.”

Sipher responded: “Having you far away from responsibility is a good thing. Subpoena away. You might actually read the letter first.”

He also posted: “I take special pride in personally swinging the election away from Trump.”

Shortly after, Sipher stated: “This is called sarcasm.”

A person called him a liar, and he responded: “I guess sarcasm is too sophisticated for you. No I didn’t 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.”

In a public statement, William Barr stated that the Hunter Biden letter “probably affected the outcome” of the 2020 election.

In a tweet on Sunday, Grenell said: “Is Hunter Biden’s laptop ‘Russian disinformation’ as you said 3 weeks before the 2020 election? And why can’t you talk to the New York Post about your claim?”

Grenell was described by Sipher as being “obsessed.”

“I’m obsessed with outing the people who manipulated intelligence for their partisan political gain,” Grenell shot back. “*YOU* said Hunter’s laptop was Russian disinformation. You told the public not to take the laptop seriously. You pretended to have seen intel. You didn’t even get a briefing!”

Sipher asserted: “I did not pretend anything. Nor did the letter say the laptop wasn’t Biden’s. It said the Russians — and dishonest partisans like you — were amplifying and exploiting the issue to damage the U.S.” And during the weekend he posted “I don’t think it was a Russian plot.”

Grenell remarked: “If they hadn’t given aid & comfort to the Beijing line to not look inside the laptop then we may have known who The Big Guy was before the election.” Grenell also claimed that Sipher “lied about intel.”

Sipher responded: “How could I have lied about the intel? … Hardly needed intel to to [sic] see Russian disinformation.”

Early on Monday morning, he tweeted: “I signed a letter I believed to be true.”

In March 2021, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence posted a tweet that it “released the declassified Intelligence Community assessment of foreign threats to the 2020 U.S. federal elections.” Several days later, Sipher replied, “Funny. We were told we were wrong when we signed this letter.” He attached the “Russian disinfo” Politico story.

Reports about Hunter Biden have been ‘heavily amplified’ by Russia, according to ODNI’s report from March 2021. The report didn’t mention the Hunter Biden laptop, and it didn’t reach any conclusion about it publicly.

During an October 2020 press conference, then-Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe claimed that no intelligence indicated the laptop belonged to a Russian disinformation campaign.

In response to Ratcliffe’s comments, Sipher said: “He didn’t say it wasn’t part of a Disinfo campaign. He said we don’t have intelligence to support it. … Playing games with words.”

Source: The Republic Brief