Gaetz Pushes To Strip Security Clearances From Intel Officials Who Dismissed Hunter Biden Laptop Story

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) introduced legislation on Tuesday, dubbed the “Spook Who Cried Wolf Resolution,” to bar security clearances for 51 intelligence officials who signed on to a letter in the fall of 2020 claiming that the story about Hunter Biden’s laptop was part of a Russian disinformation operation.

Gaetz said in a press release:

On October 19, 2020, 51 former intelligence officials signed a letter titled, “Public Statement on the Hunter Biden Emails,” which claimed Hunter Biden’s emails were a part of a “Russian information operation.” Following the censorship of the New York Post’s exposé on the emails by Big Tech and media tycoons, the New York Times confirmed the legitimacy of the emails on March 17, 2022. As of March 22, 2022, 4 of the 51 signatories maintained their support for the erroneous letter.

“The 51 signatories of the letter who publicly and falsely decried Hunter Biden’s laptop to be Russian disinformation should be barred from holding any level of security clearances indefinitely,” Gaetz’s resolution states.

The 51 intelligence officials who signed the letter include:

1. Jim Clapper, Former Director of National Intelligence
2. Mike Hayden, Former Director, Central Intelligence Agency
3. Leon Panetta, Former Director, Central Intelligence Agency
4. John Brennan, Former Director, Central Intelligence Agency
5. Thomas Finger, Former Deputy Director of National Intelligence for Analysis
6. Rick Ledgett, Former Deputy Director, National Security Agency
7. John McLaughlin, Former Acting Director, Central Intelligence Agency
8. Michael Morell, Former Actng Director, Central Intelligence Agency
9. Mike Vickers, Former Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence
10. Doug Wise, Former Deputy Director, Defense Intelligence Agency
11. Nick Rasmussen, Former Director, National Counterterrorism Center
12. Russ Travers, Former Acting Director, National Counterterrorism Center
13. Andy Liepman, Former Deputy Director, National Counterterrorism Center
14. John Moseman, Former Chief of Staff, Central Intelligence Agency
15. Larry Pfeiffer, Former Chief of Staff, Central Intelligence Agency
16. Jeremy Bash, Former Chief of Staff, Central Intelligence Agency
17. Rodney Snyder, Former Chief of Staff, Central Intelligence Agency
18. Glenn Gerstell, Former General Counsel, National Security Agency
19. David B. Buckley, Former Inspector General, Central Intelligence Agency
20. Nada Bakos, Former Analyst and Targeting Officer, Central Intelligence Agency
21. Patty Brandmaier, Former Senior Intelligence Officer, Central Intelligence Agency
22. James B. Bruce, Former Senior Intelligence Officer, Central Intelligence Agency
23. David Cariens, Former Intelligence Analyst, Central Intelligence Agency
24. Janice Cariens, Former Operational Support Officer, Central Intelligence Agency
25. Paul Kolbe, Former Senior Operations Officer, Central Intelligence Agency
26. Peter Corsell, Former Analyst, Central Intelligence Agency
27. Brett Davis, Former Senior Intelligence Officer, Central Intelligence Agency
28. Roger Zane George, Former National Intelligence Officer
29. Steven L. Hall, Former Senior Intelligence Officer, Central Intelligence Agency
30. Kent Harrington, Former National Intelligence Officer for East Asia, Central Intelligence Agency
31. Don Hepburn, Former Senior National Security Executive
32. Timothy D. Kilbourn, Former Dean, Sherman Kent School of Intelligence Analysis, Central Intelligence Agency
33. Ron Marks, Former Officer, Central Intelligence Agency
34. Jonna Hiestand Mendez, Technical Operations Officer, Central Intelligence Agency
35. Emile Nakhleh, Former Director of the Political Islam Strategic Analysis Program, Central Intelligence Agency
36. Gerald A. O’Shea, Senior Operations Officer, Central Intelligence Agency
37. David Priess, Former Analyst and Manager, Central Intelligence Agency
38. Pam Purcilly, Former Deputy Director of Analysis, Central Intelligence Agency
39. Marc Polymeropoulos, Former Senior Operations Officer, Central Intelligence Agency
40. Chris Savos, Former Senior Intelligence Officer, Central Intelligence Officer
41. Nick Shapiro, Former Deputy Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor to the Director, Central Intelligence Agency
42. John Sipher, Former Senior Operations Officer, Central Intelligence Agency
43. Stephen Slick, Former Senior Director for Intelligence Programs, National Security Council
44. Cynthia Strand, Former Deputy Assistant Director for Global Issues, Central Intelligence Agency
45. Greg Tarbell, Former Deputy Executive Director, Central Intelligence Agency
46. David Terry, Former Chairman of the National Intelligence Collection Board
47. Greg Treverton, Former Chair, National Intelligence Council
48. John Tullius, Former Senior Intelligence Officer, Central Intelligence Agency
49. David A. Vanell, Former Senior Operations Officer, Central Intelligence Agency
50. Winston Wiley, Former Director of Analysis, Central Intelligence Agency
51. Kristin Wood, Former Senior Intelligence Officer, Central Intelligence Agency.