Former FBI Informant Pleads Guilty to Fabricated Scheme Involving Bidens Amid Impeachment Inquiry
A former FBI informant, Alexander Smirnov, pleaded guilty on Monday to lying about a fabricated bribery scheme that implicated President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden. This allegation had become central to the impeachment inquiry launched by congressional Republicans against President Biden. Smirnov entered his plea in a Los Angeles federal court to a felony charge linked to this fictitious scheme, along with a separate tax evasion charge that accused him of hiding millions of dollars in income.
At the hearing, Smirnov's attorney declined to comment, but it was revealed that both prosecutors and the defense have agreed to recommend a prison sentence ranging between four to six years during his sentencing next month. Smirnov is set to receive credit for the time he has already served since his arrest in February on charges related to his fabricated claims.
The baseless allegations surfaced in June 2020, when Smirnov, who had a decade-long history as an informant, told his FBI handler that executives from the Ukrainian energy firm Burisma had supposedly paid $5 million each to both President Biden and Hunter Biden around 2015. Despite these allegations, no evidence has arisen to support the notion that Joe Biden acted corruptly or accepted bribes during his time as president or vice president.
Court documents reveal that Smirnov only had routine business dealings with Burisma starting in 2017, casting doubt on his credibility. Following the allegations, an FBI field office conducted an investigation but recommended that the case be closed by August 2020. The allegations nonetheless fueled Republican efforts to investigate the Bidens, culminating in a House impeachment inquiry. Prior to his arrest, Republicans had called for the release of unredacted documents containing these unverified claims, although they acknowledged the lack of confirmation.
In a conversation with investigators in September 2023, Smirnov made further claims about Russian intelligence, suggesting that they may have recorded Hunter Biden due to a hotel in Kyiv where he supposedly stayed being under Russian control. However, it was noted in the indictment that Hunter Biden had never actually traveled to Ukraine. Additionally, Smirnov claimed to have been in contact with Russian intelligence officials who purportedly assisted in disseminating these fabricated stories about Hunter Biden.
The case against Smirnov was brought forth by special counsel David Weiss, who is also prosecuting Hunter Biden on charges related to gun possession and tax evasion. Hunter Biden was facing sentencing this month after being convicted of gun-related charges and pleading guilty to federal tax crimes, but he was pardoned by his father shortly thereafter. President Biden stated that he believed the prosecution was influenced by political bias, leading to a miscarriage of justice.
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