Trump revokes security clearances of officials who discredited Hunter Biden laptop story
“Federal policymakers must be able to rely on analysis conducted by the Intelligence Community ... free from politically motivated engineering to affect political outcomes in the United States,” the order states.
Trump issued an executive order Monday revoking the security clearances of at least 51 former intelligence officials who helped coordinate an effort to discredit reporting that former President Joe Biden’s son Hunter had left his laptop at a computer repair business.
The story, originally reported by the New York Post, revealed details of the Biden family’s dealings with foreign governments.
The officials, Trump’s order explains, issued a letter falsely suggesting that the news story was part of a Russian disinformation campaign, which led it to be suppressed across social media platforms.
“Federal policymakers must be able to rely on analysis conducted by the Intelligence Community and be confident that it is accurate, crafted with professionalism, and free from politically motivated engineering to affect political outcomes in the United States,” the order states.