Missouri Senator Josh Hawley has called for the termination of the Department of Homeland Security's newly formed "Intelligence Experts Group."
In a letter addressed to Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Hawley argued that the group was merely another attempt by the current administration to suppress opposition voices. He pointed out that the group's leadership includes individuals who dismissed the Hunter Biden laptop story as Russian disinformation when it first emerged in 2020.
Hawley highlighted the fact that John Brennan, James Clapper, and Paul Kolbe, all signatories of the infamous October 2020 letter, falsely declared the Hunter Biden laptop story to be "Russian misinformation." He characterized this as a clear attempt to assist then-candidate Joe Biden. Recent investigations have uncovered text messages and emails that support the corrupt intent behind the publication of the letter, Hawley added. He found it "baffling" that Mayorkas' department would consider these individuals to have any remaining credibility in intelligence matters.
The senator expressed concern that enlisting the support of these discredited officials as the nation prepares for the 2024 presidential election suggests that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will continue its efforts to censor inconvenient speech. Hawley reminded Mayorkas of the previous attempt by the DHS to control information through the now-defunct "Disinformation Governance Board."
Hawley concluded his letter by urging Mayorkas to immediately terminate the newly formed group. He also requested that the secretary provide Congress with all records related to the group's creation, including communications between the DHS and the White House.
Secretary Mayorkas announced the establishment of the Intelligence Experts Group on September 19, stating that it was necessary during a time of unprecedented challenges. He emphasized that the US intelligence enterprise faces threats from various malign actors, including foreign nation-state adversaries, domestic violent extremists, cyber criminals, drug-trafficking cartels, and other transnational criminal organizations.
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