A former FBI informant is set to plead guilty to charges related to a phony bribery scheme involving President Joe Biden and his son Hunter. The informant, Alexander Smirnov, is expected to plead guilty to a felony charge in Los Angeles for lying about the bogus story and a separate tax evasion charge.
Smirnov had alleged that executives from the Ukrainian energy company Burisma paid President Biden and Hunter Biden $5 million each around 2015. However, investigations revealed that Smirnov had only routine business dealings with Burisma starting in 2017, and no evidence has emerged to support the bribery claims against the Bidens.
Prosecutors and the defense have agreed to recommend a sentence of between four and six years in prison for Smirnov. The FBI field office investigated the allegations and recommended closing the case in August 2020.
Smirnov's claims played a significant role in the Republican effort to investigate the Bidens, leading to a House impeachment inquiry into President Biden. However, the allegations were found to be baseless.
During the investigation, Smirnov also falsely claimed that the Russians likely had recordings of Hunter Biden, but it was later revealed that Hunter Biden had never traveled to Ukraine as claimed by Smirnov.
The case against Smirnov was brought by special counsel David Weiss, who also prosecuted Hunter Biden on gun and tax charges. Hunter Biden was recently pardoned by President Biden, who cited concerns about a miscarriage of justice in his son's case.
