FBI informant charged with lying about Bidens’ role in Ukraine business

An FBI informant has been accused of lying to his handler about connections between Joe Biden, his son Hunter, and a Ukrainian energy company.

Alexander Smirnov allegedly misled FBI agents in June 2020, falsely claiming that executives linked to the Ukrainian energy firm Burisma had paid Hunter and Joe Biden $5 million each in 2015 and 2016, according to prosecutors.

Smirnov asserted to the FBI that a Burisma executive had stated they hired Hunter Biden to "shield us, via his father, from various issues," prosecutors stated in a release.

These claims sparked controversy in Congress, with Republicans pressing for the release of unredacted documentation detailing the allegations as they pursued investigations into the Bidens. However, they admitted uncertainty about the claims' veracity.

This latest revelation significantly undermines Republicans' assertions of corruption, suggesting that the President was profiting from his son's dealings in Ukraine.

Smirnov, 43, faces charges of making false statements and fabricating records. He appeared briefly in a Las Vegas court on Thursday but did not enter a plea. The judge ordered the courtroom cleared after a request from federal public defender Margaret Wightman Lambrose for a closed hearing regarding sealing court documents.

These charges were brought by Justice Department special counsel David Weiss, who has separately charged Hunter Biden with firearm and tax violations.

Hunter's legal representatives did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The informant's assertions have been central to Republican efforts to investigate the President and his family, contributing to the House impeachment inquiry into Biden.

Prosecutors claim Smirnov did have contact with Burisma executives, but it occurred in 2017 after Obama and Biden had left office, rendering any influence by Biden on US policy impossible.

Smirnov allegedly distorted routine business contacts into bribery allegations against a public official, expressing bias against them and their candidacy.

If convicted, Smirnov could face up to 25 years in prison.

Last year, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, a Kentucky Republican, subpoenaed the FBI for the so-called FD-1023 document as part of the GOP's inquiries into the President and Hunter ahead of the 2024 presidential election.

Collaborating with Comer, Republican Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa released an unclassified document that Republicans claimed was significant in their investigation of Hunter.

This adds to information previously aired during Donald Trump's first impeachment trial, involving efforts by Trump's attorney Rudy Giuliani to uncover information on the Bidens before the 2020 election. The White House dismissed these claims as debunked.

Although the impeachment inquiry into Biden over his son's business dealings has been slow in the House, the panel continues its work, with Hunter expected to testify later this month.