Special counsel David Weiss has levied charges against Alexander Smirnov, a former FBI informant, for making false statements about President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden's connection to a Ukrainian energy company, Burisma Holdings.
Prosecutors said in an indictment that Smirnov falsely reported to the FBI in June 2020 that executives associated with Burisma paid Joe Biden and his son Hunter $5 million each in 2015 or 2016. These allegations have played a significant role in the Republican effort to investigate the president and his family, leading to a House impeachment inquiry against Joe Biden.
Smirnov, 43, was arrested at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, Nevada, after returning to the U.S. from abroad.
According to court documents, Smirnov said that a Burisma executive claimed to have hired Hunter Biden to "protect us, through his dad, from all kinds of problems." However, prosecutors argue that Smirnov only had routine business dealings with Burisma in 2017 and fabricated the bribery allegations due to his bias against Joe Biden, AP News reported.
Smirnov appeared in court in Las Vegas on Thursday after he was charged with making false statements and creating false records. During the hearing, Smirnov's defense attorney requested a closed hearing to discuss sealing court documents.
In a statement, Hunter Biden's attorney Abbe Lowell said that the charges demonstrate that the probe is based on "dishonest, uncredible allegations and witnesses."
"For months we have warned that Republicans have built their conspiracies about Hunter and his family on lies told by people with political agendas, not facts," Lowell said.
The indictment reveals that Smirnov had contact with Burisma executives in 2017 after Joe Biden had left office, making it unlikely for him to influence U.S. policy at that time. Prosecutors argue that Smirnov transformed his routine business contacts into bribery allegations against Joe Biden due to his bias and negative opinions about Biden and his candidacy.
Prosecutors said that Smirnov repeated some false claims during his interview with FBI agents and changed his story about others. They said that he promoted a new false narrative after claiming to have met with Russian officials in 2023.
Smirnov faces a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison if convicted. A detention hearing for him has been set for Feb. 20.
It should be noted that while these allegations have been the focus of Republican investigations, no evidence has been confirmed to support their claims. The House impeachment inquiry into Joe Biden's conduct concerning his son's business dealings is ongoing, with Hunter Biden expected to testify later this month.
