(PatriotNews.net) – Rep. Claudia Tenney, a Republican from New York, recently took aim at a group of intelligence officials. These officials, known as “The 51,” signed a letter before the 2020 election that tried to discredit the Hunter Biden laptop story.
Tenney posted on social media, saying, “The 51 should all be prosecuted for knowingly pushing a false statement.” She referenced 18 U.S.C. § 1001, which states it’s a crime to make a false statement to the federal government. This law carries a penalty of up to five years in prison.
“The 51” refers to 51 former top intelligence officials who claimed that the Hunter Biden laptop story looked like Russian disinformation. This letter was used by President Biden during a debate with former President Trump to dismiss concerns about the laptop. Later, it was revealed that the laptop was real and became evidence in Hunter Biden’s federal gun trial.
After the trial, Fox News Digital contacted all 51 individuals who signed the letter to ask if they regretted it, given the laptop was proven authentic.
James Clapper, a former Director of National Intelligence under Obama, said, “No.” Greg Treverton, who once led the National Intelligence Council, said, “This is very old news.” He added that their letter was based on their experience, and it did look like a Russian operation at the time. He emphasized they never claimed it was a Russian operation outright.
An attorney representing seven signatories stated that signing the letter was a “patriotic” move. He explained that the letter warned about foreign interference, especially from Russia, and that every patriotic American should have signed it.
However, Tenney believes the 51 should face prosecution under 18 U.S.C. § 1001. This law states that anyone who lies or makes false statements to the federal government can be fined or imprisoned for up to five years.
Tenney’s office did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
The full list of signatories includes many former top intelligence officials, such as former CIA Director Leon Panetta, former CIA Director Michael Hayden, and former National Intelligence Director Jim Clapper, among others. They stood by their letter, insisting it was a warning about potential foreign interference and was not meant to be misleading.