Hawley asks Mayorkas to end group containing people who signed Hunter Biden disinformation memo

Hawley asks Mayorkas to end group containing people who signed Hunter Biden disinformation memo

September 28, 2023 04:14 PM

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) demanded that Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas disband a group of “experts” that includes three people who signed a memo denouncing stories about Hunter Biden’s laptop as Russian disinformation.

In a letter sent to Mayorkas on Thursday, Hawley questioned the “Homeland Intelligence Experts Group’s” credibility, given their faulty track record. The group was formed last week and is intended to meet four times per year to provide insight on issues such as the fentanyl epidemic, terrorism, and the border.

Josh Hawley
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) walks on Capitol Hill on Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023, in Washington.

Mark Schiefelbein/AP

REPUBLICAN DEBATE: FACT-CHECKING CLAIMS MADE BY CANDIDATES IN SECOND GOP MATCHUP

“I will continue to oppose this Administration’s apparent efforts to undermine protected speech. Therefore, I urge you to immediately terminate this so-called ‘Intelligence Experts Group,'” Hawley wrote.

Hawley claimed in his letter that members John Brennan, James Clapper, and Paul Kolbe all signed the October 2020 letter that declared the Hunter Biden laptop story to be Russian disinformation.

“This was a clear attempt to aid then-candidate Joe Biden. Recent investigations have revealed text messages and emails that corroborate the corrupt intent behind the letter’s publication,” said Hawley.

He added, “It is therefore baffling that your Department would regard these individuals as having any remaining credibility with respect to intelligence matters.”

Hawley then went so far as to speculate the purpose of the group was to censor speech unfavorable to the Biden administration ahead of the 2024 election.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

“Enlisting the support of these discredited officials as the nation prepares for the 2024 presidential election appears to signal that DHS will continue its attempts to censor speech that is inconvenient to the current Administration,” he wrote.

The Missouri Republican demanded that the DHS hand over all records about the group’s establishment, meetings, legal reviews of its constitutionality, and communications with the White House by Oct. 15.

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Telegram
Tumblr