A former FBI informant, Alexander Smirnov, who falsely claimed that President Joe Biden and his son Hunter took bribes, has agreed to plead guilty to federal charges. This decision comes after Smirnov fabricated the story that became central to the Republican impeachment inquiry in Congress. The plea deal was finalized following court filings on Thursday.
Plea Deal and Sentencing Recommendations
As part of the plea agreement, Smirnov will admit that he made false claims about the Bidens, including allegations that executives at the Ukrainian energy company Burisma paid them $5 million each in 2015 or 2016. Prosecutors have agreed to recommend a sentence between two and six years in prison.
Smirnov’s defense attorneys, David Chesnoff and Richard Schonfeld, plan to argue for a fair sentence during court proceedings but declined to comment further on the case.
False Claims and Tax Evasion Charges
The charges against Smirnov stem from his false reports to the FBI in June 2020, when he claimed that Burisma executives had bribed Hunter and Joe Biden. Smirnov’s story was that an executive hired Hunter Biden to protect the company through his father, who was vice president at the time.
However, prosecutors argue that Smirnov’s contact with Burisma executives took place in 2017, long after the Bidens had left office, rendering any claims of bribery baseless. Additionally, the false allegations came after Smirnov expressed personal bias against Biden during his presidential campaign.
In September 2023, Smirnov repeated these false claims in an interview with FBI agents and introduced a new false narrative after meeting with Russian officials, according to court documents.
Additional Federal Charges and Prosecution
Smirnov also faces charges related to tax evasion. The case is being handled by special counsel David Weiss, who is overseeing the prosecution of Smirnov in connection with the false FBI records and tax evasion allegations. Weiss is also the prosecutor in the federal case involving Hunter Biden, who was convicted on charges related to gun and tax evasion but was later pardoned by his father, President Biden.
The plea agreement marks a significant development in the ongoing legal battles and controversies involving the Bidens, adding a new layer to the complex web of legal and political challenges.
