Testimony: State Department, CIA worked together to suppress Hunter Biden laptop story to help Biden win election

By CASEY HARPER THE CENTER SQUARE

(The Center Square) – The investigation into Hunter Biden took a turn this week after a career intelligence official reportedly testified that Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and the Biden campaign were behind a letter from 51 U.S. intelligence officials discrediting the Hunter Biden laptop prior to the 2020 election. House Judiciary Chair Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, released a letter saying that former acting CIA director Michael J. Morell testified that he organized the letter at the behest of Mr. Blinken. The claims of that letter were later debunked, but at the time they were used to silence the story until after the election. Recent reports have also shown that federal law enforcement pressured social media companies to censor the story, which they did after being told it was Russian

KALLAS, Agnes (Pappas)

With great sadness we share the passing of Agnes Kallas, who passed away peacefully in her sleep at home on April 10, 2023, at the age of 87. Born In Havana, Cuba on September 15, 1935, she came to the United States at the age of eight and lived the rest of her life in Santa Barbara.

Her hobbies included sewing, quilting, knitting, and crafting, but most of all she loved spending time with her family especially her grandchildren.

She was a loving wife, mother and grandmother. She is survived by her husband of almost 20 years, Anthony Kallas, her three children from her first marriage to John Pappas, Louis Pappas (Rachel), George Pappas (Kim) and Jan Newton (Michael). She was blessed with seven grandchildren, Andrea Pappas, Matthew Pappas (Elissa), Lisa Huebner (Ryan), Jessika Pappas, Jonathan Newton, Daniel Newton, Christopher Newton, and her three greatgrandchildren, Hazel, Quinten, and August Huebner. She will be dearly missed and her faith in Jesus Christ and his finished work on the cross gives us assurance of salvation and comfort of knowing we will see her again one day.

FLYNN, Jayne

Date of Birth: July 3, 1941

Date of Death: January 29, 2023

In the early hours of January 29, 2023, Jayne Flynn left her earthly world to join her twin sister Terri Flynn and her parents, Jane Pirrung Flynn and Edward C. Flynn.

Jayne was born in Pasadena, California in 1941. She attended schools in California, Missouri, and graduated from the Knox School in New York in 1959. Jayne found her calling in nursing. She graduated from nursing school in Florida in 1961, as an LVN.

Jayne married Edward F. Brown. They had a son, Peter C. H. Brown in 1967. Peter lives in Connecticut with his wife and their two daughters. Jayne married Luke Howe and they lived in Santa Barbara, California, then moved to Houston, Texas with their two poodles.

Jayne then moved to Brazos Towers in Houston. She had a great social life and her friendship with Betty Jean Ayers was filled with great adventures. Betty Jean’s daughter, Ann Martin, whose care and diligence was a great comfort to Jayne during her time in hospice.

Luke Howe, her former husband, was a constant source of spiritual strength to Jayne as he visited her daily in hospice. Wardlee and Dick Meyer who moved from Montecito to Tuscon, Arizona, found a poodle to adopt with Jayne’s help; a truly bonded friendship!

Our family is profoundly grateful to cousin Mark Pirrung who assisted with all the final arrangements and to Mary Anne Ebeling her executor. Our gratitude to you for all the patience and expertise with this funeral.

Jayne leaves behind her son Peter and his wife Genevieve, their two daughters Amenaide and Catherine, in Connecticut and New York; her sister Margaret Gilcrest in Carpinteria and her sons, Christopher Gilcrest and Robert Gilcrest.

Ciao sister Jayne!

A Remembrance Mass will be held on Sunday, April 23, 2023, at the Santa Barbara Mission at 11:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the Guide Dogs for the Blind.

HARTMAN, Christopher Cook Leith

April 25, 1961 - April 9, 2023 disinformation, a claim that has also now been debunked. Rep. Jordan and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Mike Turner, ROhio, have sent a letter to Mr. Blinken demanding documents, communications and more related to the coordination after the New York Post broke the story just weeks before the election.

On the evening of April 9, 2023, Christopher “Chris” Cook Leith Hartman passed away at his Santa Ynez home after a ten month battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 61 years old.

Born in Bar Harbor, Maine, in 1961, to John Burroughs Leith Hartman and Annie Verser Hartman, Chris was the third of their five children. He spent his childhood sailing at the Pleon Yacht Club in Marblehead Neck, Massachusetts, playing hockey in Houlton, Maine, and attending Stony Brook Preparatory School on Long Island in New York.

Drawn to the West Coast by the warm weather, the beaches, and the palm trees, Chris spent most of his adult life in Santa Barbara. In 1984, he graduated from Westmont College with a degree in business and economics. In 1990, Chris joined the retail brokerage firm Smith Barney, where he served as vice president for 20 years. In 2010, he joined TKG as a private wealth manager. Throughout his career, Chris cared deeply about the well-being of his clients and worked hard at assisting them in reaching their financial goals. He retired in 2023.

In 1995, Chris met the love of his life, Karen Thompson. They were married in October of 1996, and had two sons, Christopher and Matthew. Chris thrived on bringing people together, organizing social events and spending time with family and friends. His children were his pride and joy, and he was extremely active in supporting their growth and development. Chris regularly took time to relax with his family and savor the natural beauty near his cabin on Lake Almanor in northern California. He loved the great outdoors, spending time skiing, sailing, hiking mountain trails, and biking. Chris also enthusiastically collected and renovated classic American muscle cars and British sports cars.

Throughout his life, Chris was an active member of the Santa Barbara and Santa Ynez communities. He served on the board of the Carpinteria Boys and Girls Club and as president of the Santa Barbara Young Republicans. Chris sat on the Board of Directors of Old Spanish Days in 2009, through 2012, and served as co-marshal of the Fiesta Historical Parade for several years.

Chris became a member of the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Benevolent Posse in 2012, serving as Vice President for five years before being elected President in 2021. He enjoyed years of fellowship and the opportunity to support his community as a member of Vikings of Solvang. Chris also collaborated with local political candidates and was elected in 2018, as the first vice chair of the Santa Barbara County Republican Party and held that position till his passing.

The Christian faith was an important part of Chris’ life. He was an active member of El Montecito Presbyterian Church and The Ranch Church in the Santa Ynez Valley.

Chris is survived by his wife of 26 years, Karen, and two sons, Christopher of Burlingame, and Matthew of Santa Ynez; his sister Tiffin H. Fox and her husband W. Trent Fox of Waldmohr, Germany; his brother John B. L. Hartman and his wife Margrete R. Hartman of Alsvag, Norway; and his sister, Kate H. Klein and her husband Matthias A. Klein of Schmatzhausen Hohenhann, Germany. He is also survived by his mother-in-law Patricia Thompson Perry of Santa Barbara, sister-in-law Susan Anderson and her husband Rod Anderson of Santa Barbara, as well as many nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 6, 2023, at The Ranch Church in the Santa Ynez Valley. In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made in memory of Chris to the Vikings Charities of Solvang.

“Within five days of the article, on October 19, 2020, 51 former intelligence officials released a public statement attempting to discredit the contents of the New York Post’s reporting about Hunter Biden, stating that the story ‘has all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation,’” the letter said. “News publications immediately ran with the statement, with Politico publishing a story with the headline, ‘Hunter Biden story is Russian disinfo, dozens of former officials say.’ Social media companies simultaneously restricted access to the Post

TORNQUIST, Peter Allen

It was with great sadness that I tell you that Peter Allen Tornquist passed away on Sunday, March 19, 2023 at age 83. He was a man of honesty and kindness and the bonds he shared with all that loved him can never be replaced. Born in Caribou Maine in 1939 to Harold Theodore Tornquist and Vella Faye Merritt. He is survived by his children (Mike, Michelle, and Heidi), his stepchildren (Chris and Rick), his nephew Kurt and sister-in-law Cynthia, his grandchildren Nicole and Candice and his great-grandchild Tennyson. A memorial will be held at El Montecito Presbyterian Church at 2pm on May 13th, 2023 in Montecito California (near Santa Barbara). We love you Pete!

SKALING, Whitney

May 8, 1944 - December 31, 2022

Whitney Skaling, known to everyone as “Whit”, was a native of California born to Percy and Helen Skaling in 1944, and grew up in Santa Barbara. He attended San Marcos High School, graduating in 1962, and then served in the US Navy during Vietnam. After serving in the navy, he married Janice Naslund and attended Santa Barbara City College to study Geology. Two years later, he and Jan left the Golden State to continue his education in geology at New Mexico Tech in Socorro, New Mexico graduating in 1970.

They returned to Santa Barbara to join the family business, Soilmoisture Equipment Corporation, in Goleta, CA, a manufacturer of agronomy equipment sold around the globe. Whit went on to become the president of Soilmoisture. He was active across the industry and the local business community. He was known as an innovator, integrating state of the art technology into agricultural equipment.

Whit contributed to the County through community service organizations and interests in lapidary, geology, engineering and art. He was an active member of the Jaycee’s in the 1970s and as a volunteer helped the Santa Barbara Zoo and organized the 1976 Bicentennial 4th of July fireworks display. He was actively involved in the Santa Barbara Mineral and Gem Society in the 1980s helping to organize the annual Mineral and Gem Show at Earl Warren Showgrounds. He served as chairman of the Santa Barbara Industrial Association in the late 1990s. During the past few years, he also supported the Buellton Senior Center and Thrift Store.

Whit and Jan loved to travel and visited locations across the US and around the globe for both work and pleasure. Whit loved nature, music and art. He would combine the three by sketching outdoors, while listening to music! He was known by family and friends for being an excellent host and chef. He was at his best hosting large outdoor events at local parks, manning the BBQ, mixing the drinks and sharing jokes and laughing with friends and colleagues.

He is survived by his wife, Jan; his brother, Bryce; his two children, Noel Skaling and Cristal Skaling-Klopstock; and his two granddaughters, Olivia and Hildegard. He will be missed!

There were no services but a celebration of his life is planned for later in 2023.

GRIFFIN, Gloria

Gloria Nickerson Griffin was a woman who will be remembered for her tremendous generosity, giving of herself throughout her life to her family and faith. She was bold, kind, compassionate, and caring. She was a fierce advocate for everything she believed in and all those she loved.

Gloria was born in Buffalo, New York on December 16, 1932, to Lester James Nickerson and Jacqueline Hill Nickerson. Raised in the cold and snow, she arrived in California at the age of 7 and considered it to be the promised land of beautiful weather and boundless opportunities. For her, these culminated in a marriage of 70 years, 8 children, 22 grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren, and a life of service with much deserved recognition.

Gloria had a strong sense of belonging to the Catholic Church from an early age and practiced the Faith all her life. She entered into the sacrament of marriage with the love of her life, Paul Griffin Jr., at 18. Together they welcomed 8 children and raised them with faith as the center of their family life.

Her career spanned a number of disciplines, from her days as an elementary school teacher to interior designer to senior vice president and member of the board of directors of the family real estate firm, Griffin Homes.

From the time she was a busy young mother to her retirement years, she was a powerhouse of Christian charity. She was involved in organizations large and small, from the parish level to youth groups to serving on boards and councils at the archdiocese. Her service was honored with several prestigious awards, including the UCLA Service Award (1984), the Cardinal’s Award (1995), and her investment in the Order of Malta (1992) and the Equestrian Order of Saint Gregory (1997). She was deeply involved in pro-life work for more than forty years, serving as President of the Right of Life League of Southern California (1993-1994).

A proud alumna of UCLA, Gloria volunteered for many years in many capacities. She served on the UCLA Alumni Association Board of Directors, Hospital Board of Advisors, Board of Advisors for the College of Letters and Science, Dean’s Council for the College of Humanities, and the Athletic Hall of Fame Committee. She was an avid football and basketball fan all her life. In her final days, she watched the Bruins compete in the March Madness tournament and issued spirited complaints about the refereeing from her hospital bed.

When people asked for help, either on an organizational or personal level, Gloria never refused. If she was needed, she found the time and made the effort to help. Her combination of energy and competence made her enormously effective at everything she did.

In their retirement, Gloria and Paul moved from Northridge to Carpinteria, where they attended daily mass and enjoyed entertaining family members and friends in their home. Wonderful Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations and family reunions were held there.

One of her goals later in her life was to reach the date of her 70th wedding anniversary. She was able to celebrate that with Paul and the family on December 16, 2020, which she considered a great blessing from God.

Her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren will miss her and strive to follow her example of faith, service, and family life.

story, including Twitter locking the Post’s feed and then-White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany’s accounts for sharing a link to the article.”

The letter had no small impact on the election. In fact, President Joe Biden referenced the letter during a presidential debate to assuage fears that he could be compromised by foreign sources.

“Look, there are 50 former national intelligence folks who said that what this, [President Trump’s] accusing me of is a Russian plan,” President Biden said at the time. “They have said this this has all the characteristics – four – five former heads of the CIA, both parties, say what he’s saying is a bunch of garbage. Nobody believes it except him and his good friend Rudy Giuliani.”

The House Judiciary Committee laid out their concerns in a statement:

Morell testified that his communication with Blinken was one of a few communications he had with the Biden campaign, explaining that he also received a call from Steve Ricchetti, Chairman of the Biden campaign, following the October 22 debate to thank him for writing the statement. Morell also explained that the Biden campaign helped to strategize about the public release of the statement. Morell further explained that one of his two goals in releasing the statement was to help then-Vice President Biden in the debate and to assist him in winning the election. Based on Morell’s testimony, it is apparent that the Biden campaign played an active role in the origins of the public statement, which had the effect of helping to suppress the Hunter Biden story and preventing American citizens from making a fully informed decision during the 2020 presidential election.

Meanwhile, the investigation into Hunter Biden has ramped up. House Oversight Chair Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., said he is now investigating nine Biden family members after the committee received more financial documents from the Treasury Department.

Rep. Comer says that large sums were transferred from at least one Chinese company that ended up in bank accounts controlled by the Biden nexus.

“Thousands of pages of financial records related to the Biden family, their companies, and associates’ business schemes were made available to members of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, which confirm the importance of this investigation,” Rep. Comer said.

“The Biden family enterprise is centered on Joe Biden’s political career and connections, and it has generated an exorbitant amount of money for the Biden family,” he continued. “We’ve identified six additional members of Joe Biden’s family who may have benefited from the Biden family’s businesses that we are investigating, bringing the total number of those involved or benefiting to nine.” ally by 10 people in an urban environment.