An FBI informant has been charged with fabricating a multimillion-dollar bribery scheme involving President Joe Biden, his son Hunter, and a Ukrainian energy company, which has been a central claim in the Republican impeachment inquiry in Congress.
Alexander Smirnov allegedly provided false information to the FBI in June 2020, claiming that executives from the Ukrainian energy company Burisma paid Hunter and Joe Biden $5 million each in 2015 or 2016.
However, prosecutors revealed that Smirnov had only routine business dealings with Burisma in 2017. They also stated that Smirnov made the bribery allegations due to his bias against Joe Biden while he was a presidential candidate.
FBI Officer (Credits: France 24)
During a court appearance in Las Vegas, Smirnov, 43, was charged with making a false statement and creating a false and fictitious record. He did not enter a plea, and the judge ordered the courtroom cleared for arguments about sealing court documents.
The informant’s false claims have played a significant role in the Republican effort to investigate the president and his family, leading to a House impeachment inquiry into Biden.
However, an attorney for Hunter Biden emphasized that these charges demonstrate that the probe is “based on dishonest, uncredible allegations and witnesses.” A detention hearing for Smirnov is scheduled for February 20. He was arrested at the Las Vegas airport upon arriving in the US from overseas.
