Dan Hoffman Explains Why He Didn’t Sign Hunter Laptop Letter: ‘There Was No Evidence’

ROBERTS Now that the ░░░░░░░░ now that story that ░░░░░░░░ promised at the top ░░░░░░░░ the hour and that ░░░░░░░░ letter that was signed ░░░░░░░░ 51 former intelligence officials ░░░░░░░░ before the 2020 election ░░░░░░░░ doubt on The New ░░░░░░░░ Post report on Hunter ░░░░░░░░ s laptop Former CIA ░░░░░░░░ of station Dan Hoffman ░░░░░░░░ asked to add his ░░░░░░░░ explaining for the first ░░░░░░░░ in an op ed ░░░░░░░░ The Washington Times why ░░░░░░░░ said no Dan Hoffman ░░░░░░░░ a Fox News contributor ░░░░░░░░ he joins us now ░░░░░░░░ this is my most ░░░░░░░░ story of the day ░░░░░░░░ read this op ed ░░░░░░░░ I thought why didn ░░░░░░░░ you tell us like ░░░░░░░░ long time ago here ░░░░░░░░ this letter went out ░░░░░░░░ famously know and here ░░░░░░░░ what the the basic ░░░░░░░░ was that the Hunter ░░░░░░░░ laptop story has quote ░░░░░░░░ the classic earmarks of ░░░░░░░░ Russian information operation You ░░░░░░░░ this letter circulated to ░░░░░░░░ they asked for your ░░░░░░░░ you said no Why ░░░░░░░░ Right I remember I ░░░░░░░░ the letter October 18 ░░░░░░░░ And at first glance ░░░░░░░░ seemed natural to lay ░░░░░░░░ blame at the Kremlin ░░░░░░░░ doorstep Remember Vladimir Putin ░░░░░░░░ in the Kremlin and ░░░░░░░░ s well known for ░░░░░░░░ and dagger espionage operations ░░░░░░░░ at the same time ░░░░░░░░ was no evidence and ░░░░░░░░ letter noted there was ░░░░░░░░ evidence And I just ░░░░░░░░ like we needed to ░░░░░░░░ the forensics It was ░░░░░░░░ very convoluted story Folks ░░░░░░░░ recall that there was ░░░░░░░░ laptop found at a ░░░░░░░░ in Delaware And I ░░░░░░░░ at CIA when we ░░░░░░░░ t have all the ░░░░░░░░ we would task our ░░░░░░░░ to get more information ░░░░░░░░ we could be more ░░░░░░░░ And I felt like ░░░░░░░░ this case the FBI ░░░░░░░░ do those forensics And ░░░░░░░░ was not up to ░░░░░░░░ to speculate So I ░░░░░░░░ t sign the letter ░░░░░░░░ typically don t put ░░░░░░░░ name to other people ░░░░░░░░ words My wife was ░░░░░░░░ her late in her ░░░░░░░░ year of fighting cancer ░░░░░░░░ I didn t have ░░░░░░░░ time to go back ░░░░░░░░ Michael Morell and ask ░░░░░░░░ what the point was ░░░░░░░░ the letter so I ░░░░░░░░ left it and didn ░░░░░░░░ sign the letter and ░░░░░░░░ t respond you know ░░░░░░░░ And and and we ░░░░░░░░ still to this day ░░░░░░░░ sorry for the loss ░░░░░░░░ your dear wife You ░░░░░░░░ a second ago that ░░░░░░░░ didn t invite further ░░░░░░░░ which is what you ░░░░░░░░ about in The Washington ░░░░░░░░ op op ed You ░░░░░░░░ But the email I ░░░░░░░░ from Mr Morell did ░░░░░░░░ invite any further discussion ░░░░░░░░ debate The letter was ░░░░░░░░ fait accompli It was ░░░░░░░░ passed around for signatures ░░░░░░░░ edits I ve never ░░░░░░░░ one to put my ░░░░░░░░ towards someone else wrote ░░░░░░░░ my behalf So this ░░░░░░░░ was cooked And they ░░░░░░░░ they were just looking ░░░░░░░░ signatures And he you ░░░░░░░░ have been number 52 ░░░░░░░░ you said in the ░░░░░░░░ that there were a ░░░░░░░░ more as well people ░░░░░░░░ didn t sign on ░░░░░░░░ it HOFFMAN Right There ░░░░░░░░ many others who who ░░░░░░░░ t sign it Look ░░░░░░░░ I was at CIA ░░░░░░░░ would sit in Michael ░░░░░░░░ s office when we ░░░░░░░░ a particularly difficult challenging ░░░░░░░░ issue and we would ░░░░░░░░ out all the evidence ░░░░░░░░ we have the intelligence ░░░░░░░░ had and then Michael ░░░░░░░░ draw analytical conclusions with ░░░░░░░░ level of confidence low ░░░░░░░░ or high and bring ░░░░░░░░ to the White House ░░░░░░░░ didn t have that ░░░░░░░░ about this laptop issue ░░░░░░░░ weren t invited to ░░░░░░░░ it And I also ░░░░░░░░ like I was somebody ░░░░░░░░ was a Russia hand ░░░░░░░░ spent many many years ░░░░░░░░ on Russia and I ░░░░░░░░ a little surprised that ░░░░░░░░ and others who had ░░░░░░░░ same experience weren t ░░░░░░░░ in even discussing whether ░░░░░░░░ a letter was was ░░░░░░░░ writing ROBERTS Now during ░░░░░░░░ debate the one debate ░░░░░░░░ the 2020 election campaign ░░░░░░░░ President Biden then candidate ░░░░░░░░ said as we showed ░░░░░░░░ the top of this ░░░░░░░░ intelligence officers sign on ░░░░░░░░ this letter saying it ░░░░░░░░ classic Russian disinformation campaign ░░░░░░░░ write in your op ░░░░░░░░ The American public should ░░░░░░░░ careful to distinguish between ░░░░░░░░ and actively serving U ░░░░░░░░ intelligence officers Explain HOFFMAN ░░░░░░░░ the part that I ░░░░░░░░ t know and I ░░░░░░░░ assuming that my former ░░░░░░░░ who signed the letter ░░░░░░░░ didn t know either ░░░░░░░░ that Michael Morell had ░░░░░░░░ the laptop issue with ░░░░░░░░ campaign Adviser Tony Blinken ░░░░░░░░ Michael was aware of ░░░░░░░░ campaign s interest And ░░░░░░░░ s a straight line ░░░░░░░░ that to the letter ░░░░░░░░ the debate and the ░░░░░░░░ from from then candidate ░░░░░░░░ about the about the ░░░░░░░░ And so the point ░░░░░░░░ I made in the ░░░░░░░░ ed is look if ░░░░░░░░ re serving actively at ░░░░░░░░ CIA we vote but ░░░░░░░░ we serve under presidents ░░░░░░░░ whom we voted and ░░░░░░░░ for whom we didn ░░░░░░░░ When I served in ░░░░░░░░ look there half of ░░░░░░░░ probably voted for President ░░░░░░░░ and the other half ░░░░░░░░ t It doesn t ░░░░░░░░ We re focused on ░░░░░░░░ sacred mission of recruiting ░░░░░░░░ and stealing secrets and ░░░░░░░░ the best analytical conclusions ░░░░░░░░ can to the president ░░░░░░░░ that s what we ░░░░░░░░ But retired intelligence officers ░░░░░░░░ wish to engage politically ░░░░░░░░ do so As long ░░░░░░░░ they don t reveal ░░░░░░░░ intelligence they re free ░░░░░░░░ speak their mind And ░░░░░░░░ s that s their ░░░░░░░░ And it carries with ░░░░░░░░ all of the implications ░░░░░░░░ them because they re ░░░░░░░░ to have to defend ░░░░░░░░ their public statements and ░░░░░░░░ that s what we ░░░░░░░░ seeing right now ROBERTS ░░░░░░░░ I ll tell you ░░░░░░░░ op ed is eye ░░░░░░░░ There s no question ░░░░░░░░ that Everybody who s ░░░░░░░░ in this should read ░░░░░░░░