FBI informant charged with lies about Biden bribery re-arrested

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
23 Feb 2024 08:18

Alexander Smirnov is accused of making false statements and fabricating records in connection with the bribery accusation against US President Joe Biden.

US President Joe Biden delivers a speech (AFP)

An FBI informant, Alexander Smirnov, who was previously charged with making false statements about US President Joe Biden and his son, has been re-arrested shortly after being granted bail, as per a court filing by his lawyers on Thursday.

Alexander Smirnov, a US-Israeli 43-year-old, was reportedly arrested last week and indicted for fabricating accusations that Hunter Biden sought multi-million-dollar bribes from the Ukrainian company Burisma, where he served on the board, to shield it from an investigation during his father's tenure as US Vice President.

Earlier this week, a court in Nevada released Smirnov despite objections from prosecutors who argued that he might flee. The release was granted on the condition that he surrender his passport and undergo GPS monitoring. However, in an unusual turn of events, he was subsequently re-detained.

"On the morning of February 22, 2024, Mr. Smirnov was arrested for a second time... while at the undersigned counsel's law office for meetings with counsel," his lawyers David Chesnoff and Richard Schonfeld said in a court filing.

"It should further be noted that the fact that the Defendant was attending a legal consultation meeting at his attorneys' office contradicts the notion that he is a risk of flight," he added.

The big picture

The motion, submitted in Clark County, Nevada, requests an urgent hearing for Smirnov's release from custody. The unsealed grand jury indictment from last week seems to weaken the impeachment campaign against Biden led by congressional Republicans. They had promoted Smirnov's evidence as substantiation that the Bidens were part of a criminal enterprise.

The narrative accusing Hunter Biden of exploiting his father's influence for personal benefit has been a key element in the Republican portrayal, particularly emphasized by Donald Trump, that Joe Biden is corrupt.

The indictment revealed that Smirnov had served as a "confidential human source" for the FBI for at least ten years, supplying his handler with information for criminal investigations, some of which was inaccurate.

It is worth noting that Smirnov is charged with making a false statement and creating a false and fictitious record in connection with an FBI investigation. If found guilty, he could face a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison.