'Unethical, cynical and faithless behavior': Ex-US spies slam GOP over disgraced informant

A number of former US intelligence officials are reportedly feeling vindicated after the indictment of former FBI informant Alexander Smirnov.

NBC News reported that many former US spies who co-signed an open letter warning of potential foreign involvement in the Hunter Biden saga are having an I-told-you-so moment in the wake of recent developments. Spies said there were numerous warnings signs that suggested the Hunter Biden laptop allegations — which showed the president's son with sex workers and detailed his business dealings with China and Ukraine — had "all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation." The laptop story spread rapidly after former President Donald Trump's then-attorney Rudy Giuliani gave the story to the New York Post.

"We want to emphasize that we do not know if the emails... are genuine or not and that we do not have evidence of Russian involvement — just that our experience makes us deeply suspicious that the Russian government played a significant role in this case," the letter read.

READ MORE: Jim Jordan concedes FBI informant lied about Bidens when confronted by CNN host

Many of the letter's 51 signatories experienced death threats and harassment following the publication of the letter, including former CIA operations officer John Sipher. He emphasized that the letter never directly cast aspersions on the allegations themselves, but merely pointed out that it fit neatly into a narrative benefiting Vladimir Putin's regime.

"This has always been an ugly political game from the beginning," Sipher told NBC. "Anyone who actually bothered to read the letter would realize that the focus was on warning about Russian subversive efforts prior to the 2020 election."

"The recent revelations show that we were prescient," he continued. "While I would love to gloat, the important issue remains the same — foreign interference in American democracy, and unethical, cynical and faithless behavior by members of Congress entrusted to provide oversight of our important institutions."

Smirnov's arrest for allegedly lying to the FBI undercuts the confidential 1023 form Republicans were using as the primary basis of their investigations into the Bidens. A court filing submitted earlier this week also accused Smirnov of having contact with "high-ranking" officials within Russian intelligence agencies. He was arrested again this week, possibly for attempting to flee the United States.

READ MORE: Informant charged with lying about Biden had contact with 'high-ranking' Russian officials

Read NBC's full report by clicking here.