Former CIA Director says Russia is using GOP lawmakers as tools

Former CIA Director John Brennen has warned Americans that Russia sees Republican lawmakers as tools that can be exploited amid the ongoing fallout around the indictment of ex-FBI informant Alexander Smirnov. 

Smirnov was a key witness in the ongoing impeachment probe into Joe Biden but many of the 48-year-old's claims regarding Biden and his son Hunter’s business dealings in Ukraine were untrue or made up. 

GOP Representatives James Comer, Chair of the House Oversight Committee, and Jim Jordan, Chair of the House Judiciary Committee, have used Smirnov statements as key evidence in their impeachment probes Newsweek noted.  

Forbes reported Smirnov was arrested on February 14th, then released and rearrested before he was later charged with making false statements to FBI Special Counsel David Weiss’ office. Prosecutors allege Smirnov lied about Biden's accepting bribes. 

Joe and Hunter allegedly accepted $5 million dollars from Burisma executives in 2015 and 2016 in order to protect the company through Joe Biden, who was Vice President at the time. But the claims have been proven to be false. 

This was the situation being discussed between The Weekend co-host Michael Steele, a former Republican National Committee Chair, and former CIA Director John Brennan when Brennan was asked his opinion. 

Steele commented on the “sheer incompetence” of the lawmakers who were sitting on the country’s most important committees and had access to all the details of Smirnov’s case before asking Brennan what he thought. 

“What is the impact inside of the various agencies or intel agencies when they see members taking intelligence and using it this way?" Steele asked, to which Brennan explained that he thought the situation was appalling. 

“I think it's very much appalling to my former colleagues who worked so hard to try to protect our country's national security… But then we have Republican lawmakers right now, who are using things like this as a way to attack a president and quite unfairly,” Brennan said. 

The former CIA Director went on to say Russian officials viewed Republicans as “tools” that could be used in their information operations according to Newsweeks. However, the situation was a two way street. 

"I think that my colleagues are concerned that the Russians see the Republican lawmakers as tools. They are so willing to accept anything, and Russians use information operations very effectively,” Brennan explained. 

“And I have no doubt at all that they are going to continue to use it in this presidential election,” Brennan continued before noting that Republicans like Comer and Jordan are willing to use Russian information if it furthers their goals. 

“They don't care whether it's true or not as long as it's salacious, as long as it's something they can use. This is something that the Russian's recognize is ready for their exploitation," Brennan said.

Jim Jordans said that the arrest of Smirnov and the revelation that he was lying to the FBI “doesn’t change the fundamental facts” of Biden’s impeachment inquiry according to Rolling Stone. But others have said Smirnov lies killed the case against Biden. 

“The impeachment investigation essentially ended yesterday, in substance if not in form, with the explosive revelation that Mr. Smirnov's allegations about Ukrainian Burisma payments to Joe Biden were concocted along with Russian intelligence agents,” said Democratic Representative Jamie Raskin told reports according to The Hill. 

“It appears like the whole thing is not only, obviously, false and fraudulent, but a product of Russian disinformation and propaganda,” Raskin continued. “And that’s been the motor force behind this investigation for more than a year.”