(LibertyInsider.org) – The FBI informant who helped spark the probe into the Biden family’s dealings with Burisma Corp has been indicted for allegedly fabricating lies and faces a potential sentence of up to 25 years behind bars. Special Counsel David Weiss charged 43-year-old Alexander Smirnov with two counts of making false statements and one count of creating a false and fictitious record on February 14.
Police arrested Smirnov at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas as he returned to the US from a short trip overseas. He surrendered without incident and appeared briefly before a federal court judge later that same day. Smirnov will remain in custody at the Nevada Southern Detention Center in Pahrump as his legal proceedings continue.
Court documents accuse Smirnov of filing a false report about a public official and his son during the 2020 campaign. An unsealed FD 1023 form from the FBI directly identifies these individuals as President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden.
In 2017, Smirnov told the intelligence agency that he spoke with Burisma executives about the company’s ambitions in the US. He also drew attention to the fact that Hunter Biden served on the corporation’s board at that time. However, that information was already public knowledge.
Smirnov significantly stepped up his accusations in 2020, suddenly revealing new details about a series of alleged meetings with Burisma executives from 2015 through 2016. The informant told authorities that leaders from the Ukrainian gas company confirmed they had only put Hunter Biden on their board to “protect [Burisma], through his dad, from all kinds of problems.”
Smirnov also alleged — without providing evidence — that Burisma leaders paid both Biden men at least $5 million for these protections that same year.
News of the informant’s claims went public in 2023, kicking off a firestorm of debate about whether now-President Joe Biden was abusing his office for personal gain. Republican leaders demanded that the FBI release unredacted versions of Smirnov’s FD 1023 forms so they could investigate and confirm whether the president was truly involved and if so, to what level.
When House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) announced an impeachment inquiry focused on the same claims on September 12, he cited intelligence from “a trusted FBI informant” who accused the president and his son of taking bribes. New information suggests he was, in fact, referring to Alexander Smirnov.
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