The Justice Department’s recent announcement of charges against Alexander Smirnov, an FBI informant, marks a significant setback for Republicans in their campaign to impeach President Joe Biden. Smirnov had claimed to possess insider knowledge regarding alleged bribes directed towards President Biden and his son Hunter by a Ukrainian oligarch.
Special Counsel David Weiss, who oversees federal cases involving Hunter Biden, is prosecuting Smirnov for making false statements and fabricating records in connection to the bribery accusations. These allegations have been central to House Republicans’ endeavors to demonstrate corruption within the Biden family.
GOP’s Key Witness in Hunter Biden Case Faces FBI Charges for False Statements (Credits: Roll Call)
For nearly a year, Republicans have referenced a conversation between the FBI and a purportedly credible but undisclosed source, contending that it provides evidence of bribery involving Hunter Biden and his father. They further assert that the FBI neglected to pursue these claims adequately.
In July of the previous year, Senator Chuck Grassley and fellow Republicans clashed with the FBI in an attempt to obtain documents related to the informant’s statements regarding Ukrainian bribes. Despite objections from the FBI, Republicans made the materials public.
According to the documents, Mykola Zlochevsky, the owner of Ukrainian energy company Burisma, purportedly paid $5 million in bribes to both Hunter and Joe Biden.
However, it now appears that Smirnov’s claims were false. The Justice Department, in a press release announcing the grand jury indictment, stated, “As alleged in the indictment, the events that Smirnov first reported to the FBI Agent in June 2020 were fabrications.”
The indictment, spanning 37 pages, outlines how Smirnov manipulated routine business interactions with Burisma into bribery allegations against “Public Official 1,” referring to the presumptive nominee of a major political party for President. The document suggests Smirnov harbored bias against this official and his candidacy.
An analysis by NBC News of the indictment indicates that Smirnov was cautioned by his handler at least 21 times to be truthful with the bureau and was informed on multiple occasions that he might be called to testify regarding the information he provided.
