Deputy DNI Warned Hunter’s Laptop Was Not Russian Disinformation

Cliff Sims, former deputy director of National Intelligence (DNI), stated Wednesday that he had warned Natasha Bertrand about Hunter Biden’s laptop. Bertrand wrote the now discredit Politico story in which she used “dozens” of ex-intel officials to create a misleading narrative about Hunter’s origins.

Bertrand was a journalist for Politico at that time. She approached DNI Sims, then deputy, about an article she was writing on 50 former information officials who claimed Hunter’s laptop was Russian disinformation. Emma-Jo Morris, a reporter for Breitbart News, had just broken the “Laptop From Hell” story that big tech censored in the New York Post a few days before.

Before the Politico story was published, Sims informed Bertrand that the “Laptop from Hell” was not Russian disinformation. He cited John Ratcliffe, then-Director for National Intelligence (DNI). Sims said that Bertrand published the story despite Sims warning and gave the Democrats the headline they desired.

A few days prior to Bertrand approaching Sims, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), falsely claimed that the New York Post’s “Laptop from Hell” story was part of a Russian plot to “smear” Joe Biden. Ratcliffe had already condemned Schiff’s false claim and Sims relayed it to Bertrand as the background for her now-debunked Politico story.

Bertrand didn’t listen to the DNI’s statement. This contradicted her narrative with “dozens of former intelligence officials”. Sims explained the timeline via Twitter:

In 2020, I was the Deputy DNI for Strategy & Communications. This was during election season. I was part the small circle of advisors for @JohnRatcliffe at the time. Part of my job included handling inquiries from reporters, especially if they were dealing directly with DNI.

Oct. 16th: @RepAdamSchiff suggests that the laptop could be part of a Russian effort “smear” Biden.

Oct. 19, @JohnRatcliffe claims there is no intel supporting Schiff’s lies. It was treated as a “battle” by the media. History has shown who was a liar and “politicized their position.”

Oct. 19, @Politico reporter @NatashBertrand prepares a story on 50 ex-Intel officials who claim that the Biden laptop story was Russian disinformation. I tell her it’s not and point her to Ratcliffe. It is written anyway by her and she gives Democrats the headlines they want.

Sims stated that Bertrand never admitted that she had pushed misleading and false information at Politico, which could have had an impact on the 2020 election. CNN hired Bertrand shortly afterward, having been spreading the false narrative at Politico that Hunter’s laptop was Russian disinformation.

“None of them — Schiff and the ex-Intel officials who lied regarding the laptop…the journalists implicated — have ever admitted that they were wrong,” Sims stated. “And these headlines still remain on @politico until this day.”

The House Republicans have pledged to investigate the role of the cabal in the false narrative that led to the 2020 presidential election. Rep. Jim Jordan (R.OH) demanded that two former Directors of National Intelligence James Clapper, and former Director of CIA John Brennan, reveal information about their attempts to discredit Hunter Biden’s laptop story in 2020.

Jordan promised that he would use his future subpoena powers to force Clapper or Brennan to comply with Jordan’s requests.

Recent polling shows that 71% of Americans believe Hunter’s “Laptop from Hell”, which was inaccurately reported, could have affected the 2020 presidential election.

Secret Empires and Profiles in Corruption was published by Peter Schweizer, a senior contributor to Breitbart and President of the Government Accountability Institute. The books reached number one in the New York Times bestsellers list. They revealed how Joe Biden and Hunter Biden traveled to China aboard Air Force Two in 2013, before Hunter’s company signed a $1.5billion deal with a subsidiary of China’s Bank of China within two weeks. Schweizer’s research also revealed other lucrative foreign deals and cronyism in the Biden family.

Emma-Jo Morris, Breitbart’s Political Editor, was also a major figure in international news when she and Miranda Devine revealed that Joe Biden was involved in Hunter’s business ventures. He even had a 10% stake in a company formed by him with officials from the Chinese Communist Party.