FBI Source Accused of Fabricating Allegations of Biden Bribery

False accusations regarding an alleged bribery conspiracy involving President Joe Biden, his son Hunter, and a Ukrainian corporation have been levelled against an ex-FBI informant.

The 43-year-old Alexander Smirnov is charged with lying over his acceptance of funds from the energy company Burisma.

According to the Justice Department, Mr. Smirnov’s animosity for President Biden led him to make false claims to the FBI.

Republican efforts to impeach Mr. Biden had been based on his assertions.

Later this month, Hunter Biden—who has adamantly refuted the charges made against him—is scheduled to appear before the House Oversight Committee over the accusations.

ALSO READ: Russian Opposition Leader, Alexei Navalny, Dies In Prison

Following his return from a trip abroad, Mr. Smirnov was taken into custody in Las Vegas on Thursday, according to the Justice Department. He was accused of giving a misleading statement.

Hunter Biden’s probe has been overseen by Special Counsel David Weiss. In a 37-page indictment document made public on Thursday, Weiss accused Mr. Smirnov of giving the FBI “false derogatory information” about the president and his son in June 2020.

Prosecutors claim that after Mr. Smirnov voiced prejudice against the former vice president and after Mr. Biden was solidified as the Democratic presidential contender ahead of the 2020 election, this information was given.

Republicans in Congress have utilised Mr. Smirnov’s accusations over the past year to support their impeachment investigation of President Biden.

Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy stated, “A trusted FBI informant has alleged a bribe to the Biden family,” when he announced the investigation.

ALSO READ: Reactions As Ministers From Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger Republic Plan To Establish New Confederation

Later, Republicans were able to force the FBI to make their documents about Mr. Smirnov’s claims public.

Senior congressional Republicans at the time admitted that there was no proof Joe Biden had received any funds from Ukraine and that the accusation was unfounded.

During a series of meetings in 2015 and 2016, Mr. Smirnov had initially claimed that Burisma officials had claimed they had engaged the president’s son Hunter to “protect us, through his dad, from all kinds of problems”.

Hunter, Mr. Biden’s son, was a board member of Burisma at the time, and he was Vice President under President Barack Obama.

Additionally, a criminal inquiry into Burisma was carried out by the Ukrainian prosecutor general at the time.

Citing the company’s legal concerns, Mr. Smirnov asserted that Hunter “will take care of all of those issues through his dad” because the company had given $5 million to each of Mr. Biden and his son.

In actuality, according to the prosecution, Mr. Smirnov had first communicated with Burisma representatives in 2017, following the resignation of Mr. Biden as vice president and the dismissal of the Ukrainian Prosecutor General in February of that same year.

“In other words, when [Joe Biden] had no ability to influence US policy and when the Prosecutor General was no longer in office,” according to the indictment.

MORE STORIES: CAGD Salary Payment | The Controller set payment dates for 2024

After voicing prejudice against the president and his candidature, the prosecution also stated that Mr Smirnov “transformed his routine and extraordinary business contact with Burisma in 2017 and later into bribery allegations against [Joe Biden]”.

After claiming to have met with Russian authorities, Mr. Smirnov allegedly altered some of his account and made new accusations when questioned by FBI investigators in 2023.

Mr. Smirnov may spend up to 25 years in jail if found guilty of Allegations of Biden Bribery.