Biden Listed on Unmasking Request Document But Denies Involvement in Flynn Investigation
Will this presidential election be the most important in American history?
Presumptive Democratic nominee former Vice President Joe Biden denied he was aware of investigations involving former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn ahead of the release of names of former President Obama’s administration officials.
Yet soon after, Biden’s name is one of several names that became public on Wednesday as part of the unmasking request of Flynn’s name.
The Daily Caller reports:
The documents show that an unmasking request was made in Biden’s name on Jan. 12, 2017. Similar requests were made under the names of James Comey, John Brennan and James Clapper, the former directors of the FBI, CIA and Office of the Director of National Intelligence, respectively.
This week, acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell declassified documents on former President Obama’s administration officials allegedly involved in the unmasking of Flynn.
Flynn pleaded guilty in December 2017 for lying to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) over his conversations with the Russian ambassador at the end of 2016. The calls were surveilled and subsequently leaked.
Last week, the Department of Justice (DOJ) dropped the case against Flynn and the House Intelligence Committee released transcripts of its investigation of possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.
Biden appeared on ABC’s “Good Morning America” with host George Stephanopolous and was questioned about what he knew about investigations of Flynn while he was in the White House and Biden initially said, “I knew nothing about those moves to investigate Michael Flynn, number one. Number two, this is all about diversion.”
Biden then claimed he misunderstood the question when Stephanopolous questioned his attendance in a January 5, 2017, Oval Office meeting where Flynn’s name came up.
The “target” claimed he knew “nothing” about investigating General Flynn yesterday.
Why would that change today?
pic.twitter.com/Zik4GkA4mZ https://t.co/lsjsDp4lpV
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) May 13, 2020
President Trump commented on social media.
Does anybody believe this man? Caught! https://t.co/WfnIqs6BsE
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 13, 2020
The Trump campaign slammed Biden in a statement calling his claim “limp.”
.@TeamTrump statement from @parscale on Biden’s request to unmask Gen. Flynn:
“Joe Biden’s limp claim that he doesn’t know anything about the railroading of Gen. Michael Flynn just got even more unbelievable.” pic.twitter.com/6fUoW6PfS6
— Erin Perrine (@ErinMPerrine) May 13, 2020
Biden’s campaign hit back.
Fox News reports:
“These documents have absolutely nothing to do with any FBI investigation and they confirm that all normal procedures were followed — any suggestion otherwise is a flat out lie,” Biden Rapid Response Director Andrew Bates said.
Other critics commented on social media.
Why did Joe Biden go on TV yesterday and pretend not to know anything about moves made to investigate General Flynn but today we find out that he sought to unmask him?
Will the media ask him about this? pic.twitter.com/3vqpYXvKl5
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) May 13, 2020
https://twitter.com/19283746/status/1260667106074349568?s=20
https://twitter.com/kmheffbill/status/1260662332885254144?s=20
Either Biden forgot about his knowledge of the Flynn investigation which brings into question his mental capacity or he’s lying and must be held accountable.
In both scenarios, it’s bad for Biden.
Watch Biden’s full interview below.