A federal appeals court has denied a request to release a former FBI informant, Alexander Smirnov, who is facing charges related to an alleged multimillion-dollar bribery scheme involving President Joe Biden's family. The California-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court's decision to keep Smirnov in jail while he awaits trial, citing concerns about him being a flight risk.
Smirnov's lawyers had sought his release and even requested temporary release for him to undergo eye surgery for glaucoma, but both requests were denied by the appeals court. Smirnov was arrested in February on charges of fabricating a story about executives from the Ukrainian energy company Burisma paying President Biden and Hunter Biden $5 million each in 2015, a claim that played a role in the Republican impeachment inquiry of President Biden.
Despite pleading not guilty, Smirnov was ordered to remain in custody by U.S. District Judge Otis Wright II in Los Angeles. Prosecutors revealed that Smirnov had reported extensive contact with officials associated with Russian intelligence and had expressed bias against Joe Biden as a presidential candidate. They also mentioned that Smirnov's allegations about the Bidens came after having routine business dealings with Burisma starting in 2017.
Smirnov's lawyers have vowed to continue fighting for his release, arguing that he has no criminal history and that being in jail hinders his ability to prepare for trial effectively. They have the option to appeal the ruling to the full 9th Circuit or directly to the Supreme Court.
While the legal battle continues, Smirnov remains in custody as the case unfolds, with the allegations and implications surrounding the fabricated bribery scheme continuing to draw attention and scrutiny.
