House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, told Fox News that testimony his panel heard in private from Obama-era CIA director John Brennan “confirmed ” that the letter signed by 51 current and former intelligence officials was not up to the mark.
“[Brennan] sat down for a four-hour interview and further confirmed that this was all political,” Jordan told “Jesse Watters Primetime.”
Jordan detailed his allegation that then-Biden campaign adviser Antony Blinken was the “driving force” behind the letter, which he said was orchestrated in part by the former deputy director of the CIA Michael Morell, who testified before the Judiciary Committee in early May.
He also criticized the reaction of one member of his committee, Rep. Daniel Goldman, DN.Y.
WHITE HOUSE INSISTS NO ‘POLITICAL INTERFERENCE’ IN HUNTER BIDEN PROBE AFTER IRS INTERFERENCE
Former CIA director John Brennan (l) testifies at an unrelated hearing, as ex-DNI Jim Clapper looks on. (REUTERS/Gary Cameron)
Goldman told reporters after the hearing that what people saw from Brennan is “exactly what we expect from our public servants.”
Goldman, who previously served as lead impeachment counsel during the first iteration of the investigation against then-President Trump, claimed that these hearings are a “First Amendment violation that this investigation is underway: [Brennan] he was a private citizen when he wrote this letter.”
Jordan said Goldman apparently ignored how the officials who signed the letter saying the laptop appeared to have markings from a “Russian intelligence operation” did so with their government titles listed below their names.
Jim Jordan holds a hearing at the Jacob K. Javits Federal Building in New York City. (Luiz C. Ribeiro for NY Daily News via Getty Images)
“Mr. Goldman talked about public officials,” Jordan said. “We hope that public officials will not use their title to influence an election.”
Jordan reiterated his claim that those involved in the letter wanted to give then-candidate Biden a “talking point” for his NBC debate against Trump.
When Trump introduced the laptop report, Biden cited the letter, prompting the incumbent to comment on how the laptop public must now apparently be led to believe that it’s “another ‘Russia, Russia, Russia.’ [hoax].”
Jordan wondered aloud why Biden or the Democrats felt they needed a “talking point” about whether Hunter’s laptop was empirically a hoax or inauthentic.
“And he presented it like it was all organic, just shazam! It happened out of the goodness of the hearts of all these individuals. They wanted to do it like there was no political motivation, and we know that wasn’t accurate. .”
Jordan concluded by revealing that the panel plans to invite another lead signatory, Obama-era Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, for questioning next week.
Charles Creitz is a reporter for Fox News Digital.
He joined Fox News in 2013 as a writer and production assistant.
Charles covers media, politics and breaking news, and has covered the annual CPAC conference for Fox News Digital.
Charles is a native of Pennsylvania and graduated from Temple University with a BA in Broadcast Journalism. Story tips can be sent to charles.creitz@fox.com.
