A former FBI informant, Alexander Smirnov, has agreed to plead guilty to federal charges of tax evasion and falsifying information. This development follows accusations that Smirnov fabricated claims that President Biden and his son, Hunter, accepted bribes, claims that played a significant role in a Republican-led impeachment inquiry. Smirnov's plea agreement includes a recommended sentence of two to six years in prison, according to court documents filed Thursday.
Smirnov was arrested in February after allegations emerged that he falsely informed the FBI about a supposed $5 million payment from executives of the Ukrainian energy company Burisma to the Bidens in 2015 or 2016. However, prosecutors highlighted that his contact with Burisma occurred in 2017, well after Biden had left the vice presidency. In court documents, it is noted that Smirnov demonstrated bias against Biden while he was a presidential candidate and perpetuated false narratives, including that he had spoken with Russian officials, even during interviews with FBI agents in September 2023.
The case against Smirnov is being led by special counsel David Weiss, who is also responsible for the federal gun and tax charges against Hunter Biden. Notably, Hunter's sentencing process was halted following a pardon from his father. Smirnov's legal team did not immediately return requests for comment. As part of his plea, Smirnov will admit to concocting the bribery allegations as well as other charges, thereby resolving a central issue in the impeachment inquiry narrative. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)
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