A significant development has emerged as Alexander Smirnov, a former FBI informant, faces charges for allegedly lying about President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden’s involvement in business dealings with Ukrainian energy company Burisma Holdings. This news comes as a major aspect of the Republicans’ impeachment inquiry against President Biden.
Smirnov, aged 43, has been charged with lying to the FBI and creating false records. He was arrested at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas upon his arrival in the US from overseas and is set to appear in federal court.
The indictment accuses Smirnov of fabricating his story to the FBI, claiming that his accounts were an amalgamation of ordinary business meetings and contacts, not discussions of bribes to Joe Biden during his time in office.
The FBI’s investigation has taken cues from memos released by congressional Republicans as part of their allegations against Smirnov. However, Hunter Biden’s lawyer, Abbe Lowell, has denounced these claims, stating they are built on lies by individuals with political agendas.
House Oversight Chair James Comer clarified that his investigation into President Biden is not centered on Smirnov or his claims, dismissing the relevance of the FD-1023 form cited by Republican legislators.
GOP Senator Chuck Grassley, who previously released the 1023 form, insists on a thorough investigation by the Justice Department into bribery allegations against the Bidens, expressing dissatisfaction with the indictment alone.
According to court records, Smirnov allegedly spoke with Burisma’s owner about the company’s efforts to acquire a US-based company and mentioned a “Businessperson 1” on Burisma’s board, believed to be Hunter Biden, and a “Public Official 1,” identified as Joe Biden.
During Joe Biden’s presidential campaign, Smirnov reportedly submitted reports to the FBI detailing meetings with Burisma executives in which they purportedly admitted to hiring Hunter Biden for protection, through his father, from various issues. Allegedly, executives paid $5 million each to Joe and Hunter Biden while Joe Biden was Vice President to handle an ongoing investigation into Burisma by the Ukrainian prosecutor general.
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