An ex-intel official and MSNBC pundit who falsely claimed Hunter Biden’s laptop could be Russian disinformation has been appointed to a White House board that offers the president national intelligence advice.
The appointment of Jeremy Bash, a former CIA chief of staff during the Obama presidency, to the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board, was announced Friday by the Biden administration.
Bash clinched the new role despite signing onto a letter along with 50 other former intelligence officials prior to the 2020 election that cast doubt on The Post’s expose of Hunter Biden’s laptop, insisting the computer’s contents “has the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation.”
The letter was written in mid-October weeks before the election between Biden and ex-President Trump — and after The Post published its first story on Biden’s son. More than a year later, the New York Times and the Washington Post both reported the emails on the laptop were legitimate and confirmed that Hunter Biden was under federal investigation for tax fraud.
The Post’s scoop was also temporarily censored on social media platforms after it was published.
This month Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg admitted to host Joe Rogan on his show that he regretted suppressing the story after the FBI contacted the social media company about possible “Russian propaganda” tied to the 2020 presidential election.
Trump sounded off on Zuckerberg’s comments on his own social media app Monday.
The White House, in its announcement, touted Bash for his roles at the CIA and Department of Defense and his multiple positions on Capitol Hill, including as chief counsel of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.
“He is the recipient of the Distinguished Intelligence Medal, the Clandestine Service’s Donovan Award, the CIA Director’s Award, and the Department of Defense Distinguished Public Service Medal,” the White House said, noting he is a Georgetown University and Harvard Law grad.
Currently managing director of Beacon Global Strategies, Bash has appeared frequently on MSNBC and NBC News as a national security analyst, gaining prominence during the Trump years.
The advisory board is made up of up to 16 members and is an independent element of the White House.
The board “exists exclusively to assist the President by providing the President with an independent source of advice on the effectiveness with which the Intelligence Community is meeting the nation’s intelligence needs and the vigor and insight with which the community plans for the future,” according to the White House.
.