An ex-FBI informant has entered a plea of guilty for making false statements to the bureau regarding an alleged $5 million bribery scheme involving Joe Biden and his son Hunter with a Ukrainian energy company. Alexander Smirnov, aged 44, admitted to fabricating evidence in a federal investigation and also acknowledged three counts of tax evasion for not paying taxes on $2.1 million in earnings spanning from 2020 to 2022. Originally from Russia, Smirnov, who holds dual citizenship in the US and Israel, could be sentenced to a maximum of six years in prison as per an agreement reached with prosecutors. The sentencing has been scheduled by US District Judge Otis Wright for January 8 in Los Angeles.
The charges against Smirnov stem from his false allegations that the Ukrainian energy company Burisma had funneled substantial bribes to Hunter Biden, a former board member, and his father, who was the Vice President during the Obama administration, in exchange for protection from a criminal inquiry. The plea agreement has confirmed that the information provided by Smirnov to the FBI in June 2020 was entirely fabricated. Furthermore, during subsequent interviews with FBI agents in September 2023, Smirnov perpetuated some of his false claims while altering others and introducing new baseless narratives.
Some Congressional Republicans, who were determined to impeach Joe Biden, had used Smirnov’s deceptive assertions as supposed proof of the Biden family’s illicit activities. Ultimately, the impeachment proceedings initiated in the House of Representatives failed to substantiate any of the allegations, leading to a standstill in the process. Hunter Biden, separately, had faced legal issues earlier in the year, including charges related to firearms and tax violations, for which he was subsequently pardoned by his father. A representative for Smirnov was approached for a statement, as reported by the Associated Press.
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