Psaki dodges questions on past dismissal of Hunter Biden laptop as 'Russian disinformation'

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White House press secretary Jen Psaki declined to comment multiple times when asked about her past comments that reporting on Hunter Biden’s laptop in 2020 were part of a "Russian disinformation" campaign.

"I’d point you to the Department of Justice and also to Hunter Biden’s representatives," Psaki told a reporter Wednesday when asked about the White House’s previous dismissal of the laptop reporting which was originally published by the New York Post in October of 2020 and confirmed by the New York Times on Wednesday, well over a year later. "He doesn’t work in government."

The White House promised to keep the identities of buyers a secret, but "many ethics experts expressed sharp disapproval of the arrangement," according to Politico’s Ben Schreckinger.   ((Randy Holmes via Getty Images))

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Later in the press conference, Psaki was asked about the subject again and was specifically questioned about her past comments that the laptop was "Russian disinformation."

"Again, I'd point to the Department of Justice and Hunter Biden's representatives," Psaki said. "I'm a spokesperson for the United States. He doesn't work for the United States."

U.S. President Joe Biden speaks about assistance the U.S. government is providing to Ukraine amid Russia's invasion of the neighboring country, in the Eisenhower Office Building's South Court Auditorium at the White House in Washington, U.S., March 16, 2022.  (REUTERS/Tom Brenner)

A Wednesday report by The New York Times confirmed the authenticity of Hunter Biden's infamous laptop, which was left in a Delaware repair shop in 2019 by the first son before being turned over to the FBI by the repair shop owner. 

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The new Times report, which was flagged by The New York Post and focused on the investigation into Hunter Biden's taxes and his international business dealings, noted prosecutors had examined emails between Biden and some business associates that "appear to have come from a laptop abandoned by Mr. Biden in a Delaware repair shop" and "were authenticated by people familiar with them and with the investigation."

Previously, The Times dismissed the Biden laptop story as "Russian disinformation" at the height of the 2020 presidential campaign and claimed in a September 2021 piece that The Post's reporting on the laptop was "unsubstantiated." It later scrubbed the word from the article after intense backlash over its inaccurate characterization of The Post's reporting. 

Joe Biden, along with Psaki, also dismissed the report in 2020.

"Yes, yes, yes," Biden responded to a question about if he believed the laptop was Russian disinformation in a press conference as the president-elect. 

White House press secretary Jen Psaki speaks during a press briefing at the White House, Friday, March 4, 2022. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

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The White House and Department of Justice did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News.

The original New York Post report was widely dismissed by major news networks leading up to the 2020 presidential election and was blocked from being shared by both Facebook and Twitter. 

A poll conducted shortly after the presidential election showed that 17% of Biden voters would not have voted for him if they had known about the contents of Hunter Biden's laptop when they cast their votes.

Fox News’ Brandon Gillespie contributed to this report